New Delhi, June 30 (IANS) – Are you planning for motherhood? A new study suggests that increasing your intake of calcium and zinc three months before conceiving could help prevent dangerous blood pressure disorders, such as preeclampsia, during pregnancy.
This research, conducted by US scientists, underscores the importance of nutrition not just during pregnancy, but in the preconception period as well. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances often take time to correct, making it crucial to focus on diet before conceiving.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the most common complications during pregnancy, posing risks to both the mother and the developing fetus. While antihypertensive medications can manage blood pressure, they may have adverse effects on the fetus. Therefore, the researchers sought to identify preventive measures, particularly through modifiable factors like nutrition.
“Our findings underscore the significance of preconception dietary intake of calcium and zinc in potentially reducing the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy,” said Liping Lu, who conducted the research as a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University and is now an Assistant Professor at Ball State University. “Higher intakes of zinc and calcium before conception, derived from diet and supplements, are both associated with a lower risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.”
The researchers based their findings on two separate studies—one focused on calcium and the other on zinc—using data from over 7,700 pregnant women across the United States.
Women in the highest quintile for preconception calcium intake were found to be 24 percent less likely to experience hypertensive disorders during pregnancy compared to those in the lowest quintile. Similarly, those with the highest preconception zinc intakes were 38 percent less likely to experience hypertensive disorders during pregnancy than those with the lowest zinc intakes.
While these observational studies do not necessarily prove causation, Lu noted that the findings align with other research linking higher intakes of these minerals to a lower risk of hypertension-related diseases outside of pregnancy.
The results of this study will be presented at NUTRITION 2024, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, held from June 29 to July 2 in Chicago.
