(Integrative Medicine) - Pregnant women who consume a diet rich in animal protein and low in carbohydrates may be more likely to have children with elevated blood pressure later in life, according to a study published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers evaluated the blood pressures of 626 Scottish men and women whose mothers had been advised to consume 1 lb red meat per day and to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods (such as potatoes, cakes, and biscuits) during pregnancy. The high-animal protein and low-carbohydrate diet was recommended at this time to reduce the risk of preeclampsia, a condition characterized by a sharp rise in blood pressure during the third trimester. The researchers found that women who consumed the most meat and fish during the second half of their pregnancy (>21 portions/wk) were significantly more likely to have offspring who later developed elevated systolic blood pressure than those who consumed the least amount of meat and fish (at least 11 portions/wk). These effects were even more pronounced among women who ate few green vegetables during their pregnancy. Women who consumed the most fish (but not necessarily the most meat) in their diets were also more likely to have children with raised diastolic blood pressure. The mother's blood pressure, body size, and smoking habits during pregnancy did not influence these associations. The researchers speculate that "high intakes of essential amino acids [such as those in red meat] could impose a metabolic stress to which both the mother and fetus respond by elevation of blood pressure."

References

Shiell AW, Campbell-Brown M, Haselden S, et al. High-meat, low-carbohydrate diet in pregnancy: relation to adult blood pressure in the offspring. Hypertension. 2001;38:1282-1288.