A new study from the National Institutes of Health suggests women may need to watch what they eat before they get pregnant.  

 

Researchers asked more than 15,000 women how often they ate potatoes over a 10-year period and tracked their pregnancies. Women who ate more potatoes had higher rates of gestational diabetes than those who consumed fewer potatoes.  Substituting other vegetables, legumes,  and whole grain foods for two servings of potatoes a week lowered the risk of gestational diabetes by 9 to 12 percent.

 

Doctor Aldo Palmieri says, “potatoes elevate blood sugar in people more than just about any other type of food. So they are carbohydrates and all carbohydrates have that potential”  

The study didn’t find that potatoes directly cause gestational diabetes, but that other foods, such as sugary drinks and desserts, do.

 

Obesity is one of the main risk factors for gestational diabetes. Doctors say expectant mothers should always maintain a healthy weight.