Taking antioxidants before and during pregnancy prevents obesity, glucose intolerance in children

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: antioxidants, pregnancy, health news

(NaturalNews) Antioxidants play a crucial role in preventing the onset of disease, and they can make all the difference in determining whether or not children develop glucose intolerance or become obese. According to a new study out of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHP), women who consume high amounts of antioxidants before and during their pregnancies may be protecting their children against diabetes and obesity.

Noting that diets high in bad fats and carbohydrates cause harmful oxidative stress that leads to obesity and diabetes, researchers decided to study the effect that antioxidants have in mitigating their onset. The team fed four groups of test rats either a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, or a healthier and more balanced diet. The first two groups received such diets with no additional antioxidants, while the other two received extra antioxidants with their diets.

At the conclusion of the study, the group eating the unhealthy "Western" diet with no added antioxidants had significantly higher rates of inflammation and oxidative stress than the other groups, and their offspring were larger and had highers rates of glucose intolerance. The Western diet group that consumed added antioxidants, however, produced offspring with markedly lower rates of glucose intolerance and no obesity whatsoever -- and these conditions persisted even after two months.

"These results suggest that if we prevent obesity, inflammation and oxidative stress in pregnant animals, we can prevent obesity in the offspring," said Rebecca A. Simmons, MD, a neonatologist at CHP.

The study shows that not only do antioxidants help prevent obesity, but they even do so when consumed as part of the Standard American Diet (SAD). This is not to suggest that consuming a SAD diet is beneficial, but rather that the incredible power of antioxidants to alleviate oxidative stress and its resultant diseases is strong enough to counteract some of the negative effects associated with the worst of diets.

Editor's Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and well-being of all living creatures.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anti...