Too Much Intake Of Potatoes Increases Gestational Diabetes Risks, Study Says

A recent study said that women who had larger intake of potatoes before pregnancy are at higher risk of having gestational diabetes. This is a type of diabetes which occurs during pregnancy developing pre-eclampsia and hypertension -- eventually putting the fetus at risks as caused by its adverse effects.

In the long run, a mother who has suffered such illness during pregnancy is also at risk of having type-2 diabetes. A recent research concluded that the amount of potato consumption was a big factor affecting the increased risk of gestational diabetes, according to New Vision.

Led by Cuilin Zhang at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, the research team said that they had the record of nurses who got pregnant from 1991 to 2001. They found out that 854 out of the 21,693 pregnancies were affected by gestational diabetes.

The researchers discovered that a 27 percent increase in the diabetes cases was associated with those women who ate two to four servings of potatoes a week. Hence, an increase of up to 50 percent was regarded to those who ate more than five portions a week.

Experts also advised that instead of potatoes, "mommy wannabes" should consider having a couple of other vegetable serving. However, U.K. health practitioners believe that people need more foods with starch such as potatoes and should be one-third of the total daily food consumption. Thus, BBC reported that there is no official weekly limit on carbohydrate consumption has been given yet.

Diabetes is known as a metabolic disorder wherein the body has high glucose or blood sugar because of insufficient insulin production or because the cells of the body do not respond to insulin properly. It usually causes frequent urination, fatigue and inability of wounds to heal. Gestational diabetes, however, does not show any symptom, but can increase the risk of stillbirth, premature labor and even miscarriage.

However, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' Consultant Gynaecologist, Michael Heard believes that this study should not alarm pregnant women and that a well-balanced diet is still the key towards a healthy pregnancy, according to Daily Mail.