Minimizing the Instance of Gestational Diabetes: Have you ever heard of docosahexaenoic acid or DHA? If not, you’re probably not alone. If you’re pregnant, however, this supplement could reduce or even prevent gestational diabetes.
In order to test this belief researchers are beginning a trial of this supplement comprised of omega-3 fatty acids that may be able to lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity in pregnant women according to principal investigator Debra Krummel, PhD of the University of Cincinnati.
A two-year study is planned to help researchers come to terms with the potential benefit of DHA in pregnant women.
Previous research indicates women who are diagnosed with gestational diabetes are often highly susceptible to Type 2 diabetes later in life. If gestational diabetes could be prevented or instances reduced this could have a significant impact in potential Type 2 diabetes in women who are also mothers. As you’ll see later in this report the benefits of DHA also extend to their children.
Krummel told Physorg.com, “We have to find a way to help these women once they’re already pregnant, and that’s what this supplement is about. If this supplement can improve insulin sensitivity and markers of inflammation in pregnant women, it’s a huge clinical benefit. It’s already good for the baby but if it can have this other benefit, it’s huge.”
This diabetic research is centered in Cincinnati, Ohio and will be focusing on around 90 women who are between the ages of 18-40. Study candidates will be less than 26 weeks pregnant at the time they enter the study and are asked to make three appointments during their pregnancy related to the gathering of study findings in their case.
Participants are compensated for their time and are provided the supplements they will need as part of the study. Two control groups will be developed. One will receive DHA and the other will not. Study participants will be screened and placenta blood will also be screened following birth to gather additional facts. Findings from both groups will be compared and that data will result in recommendations to physicians or be the basis for revised studies.
Existing findings related to DHA indicate it has been helpful to babies within the womb by assisting in cognitive development following birth, retinal development and better overall vision. An existing supplement that is high in DHA is fish oil. The reason fish contain high levels of DHA is that this beneficial nutrient is found in abundance in algae.
This report did not take into account the advantages tied to a reduction in Triglycerides levels along with fewer instances of heart disease among those who regularly ingest DHA.
Gestational diabetes is often discovered in pregnant women who are also overweight. This is not exclusively true, but the trends indicate it is more common in this scenario.
When a pregnant woman who is diagnosed with gestational diabetes does not work to control her blood glucose there may be problems with their children being born overweight and with a greater likelihood that those children may develop Type 2 diabetes. The stage also seems to be set for the mother who may feel fine after the baby is born, but may have had her body conditioned for the development of Type 2 diabetes.
If the addition of DHA during pregnancy could decrease or effectively eliminate gestational diabetes this would be “huge” indeed.
