Experts call our growing obesity problem a metabolic disorder that stems from a variety of factors. But among these, certainly, is a growing epidemic known as syndrome X, which is caused by insulin resistance. This condition, which leads to obesity, hypertension and heart disease later in life, is now being linked to the absence of beneficial bacteria during pregnancy.
The latest study was published in the February 4, 2010, issue of the British Journal of Nutrition. In it, researchers said that expectant mothers had newborns with reduced obesity risk later on in life when they took a probiotic supplement during the first trimester. When women experience diabetes during pregnancy, this results in a greater chance of having obese babies with insulin resistance. This is what could well lead to adult type 2 diabetes later in life.
The study involved 256 women who did not receive lactobacillus and bifdobacterium species of beneficial bacteria.
Dr. Raakel Luoto, lead researcher, wrote, “Taken together, long-term health benefits for mothers and children may be conferred by balanced maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation and by promoting the healthy gut microbiota in the mother and child.”
“The results of the present study add weight to the argument that the continuing burden of Western lifestyle diseases is modifiable. Based on the present findings, perinatal dietary counseling combined with probiotics could provide a safe and cost-effective tool in addressing the obesity epidemic.”
Healthy Living Magazine
Volume 14 Number 4
Tags: Diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, insulin resistace, metabolic disorder, obesity, pregnancy, probiotic supplment, Syndrome X, type-2 diabetes
