A new study shows veggies reduce risks of giving birth prematurely

Everyone knows veggies are good for you but new Queensland research shows just how important they are for mums to be and why.

Study shows eating vegetables is key to reducing risk of premature births. Photo. istock.

As toilet paper, rice and pasta went flying off the shelves in flurried COVID-19 buying turns out we should have been in the vegetable section especially women thinking about becoming pregnant.

University of Queensland (UQ) research shows not only does eating veggies before conception lower the risk of premature birth it also plays a role in reducing adverse birth outcomes.

UQ School of Public Health Professor Gita Mishra said while the dietary guideline for Australian women was to eat at least five serves of vegetables per day currently only 10 per cent of women met that guideline.

“Nutrition is particularly important for pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant,” she said.

“Around 8.5% babies are born preterm in Australia. This (the study) is an important result as it highlights that eating vegetables before pregnancy can reduce the risk of having a preterm baby.”

“But it is only one aspect of a healthy lifestyle, including physical activity and not smoking, that is considered an important part of preparing for pregnancy.”

Professor Mishra said with only 10 per cent of women meeting the national guideline it was important to see that “intake of vegetables stepped up”.

UQ Professor Gita Mishra.

Alongside Professor Mishra, UQ PhD candidate Dereje Geta analysed the diets of nearly 3500 women and found eating the traditional “three-veggies” regularly before pregnancy lowered the risk of premature birth.

Mr Gete said the study found high consumption of carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, cabbage, green beans and potatoes before conception helped women reach full term pregnancy.

“Traditional vegetables are rich in antioxidants or anti-inflammatory nutrients, which have a significant role in reducing the risk of adverse birth outcomes,” Mr Gete said.

“Women depend on certain stored nutrients such as calcium and iron before conception, which are critical for placenta and foetus tissue development.

“Starting a healthier diet after the baby has been conceived may be too late, because babies are fully formed by the end of the first trimester.”

Vegetables help reduce risk of premature birth. Photo. istock

Professor Mishra said the study showed that dietary interventions before women started “thinking about having a bay” could have a significant effect on birth outcomes.

She said the study reflected the positive outcomes of eating traditional vegetables or those “usually eaten cooked” but kale, eggplant and beetroots could sit alongside the traditional carrots, potatoes and pumpkins.

“Overall the key message is to eat vegetables as they are high in antioxidants and fibre,” she said.

“People born prematurely face a greater risk of metabolic and chronic diseases in adulthood, as well as poor cognitive development and academic performance,” Professor Mishra said.

“Premature births, which are births before 37 weeks of gestation, are the leading cause of death in Australian children and affect 8.5 per cent of births each year, a figure which is trending upwards.”

The research was part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, a large ongoing population-based study of more than 57,000 women investigating the role of socio-demographic, biological, physical, environmental and behavioural factors on health and wellbeing.

The study is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.