Pregnant? DON'T eat for two!

July 29, 2015  19:47

It is a long-held myth that pregnant women can relax their eating habits safe in the knowledge they are 'eating for two'.

But doctors have warned expectant mothers are more likely to develop weight problems if they overeat while they're pregnant.

And mothers have often wondered why it is so hard to shift the pounds after giving birth.

Now scientists believe they may have an answer to both questions.

Research in fruit flies – which surprisingly have many similarities in their digestive system with humans – show that it becomes more efficient while pregnant – absorbing and storing more energy from the same amount of food.

The fruit flies produce a hormone soon after mating that triggered growth in the intestines which makes it store more fat.

The hormone acted in a similar way to human thyroid hormones, which regulate the body’s energy demands, the researchers pointed out.

The authors of the paper suggest that these changes to the digestive system could last after the baby is born and finished breast feeding.

Lead scientist Dr Irene Miguel-Aliaga, from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Clinical Sciences Centre in London, said: ‘Previous studies have shown that eating for two during early pregnancy is unnecessary.

‘Our research suggests that this is because the digestive system is already anticipating the demands that the growing baby will place upon our body.’

Co-author Dr Jake Jacobson, also from the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, added: ‘Many of the fly genes that we studied exist in humans. 

'Flies also utilise and store fat like we do, and their metabolism is controlled by similar hormones.

‘Some women find it difficult to lose weight after pregnancy, and we may now have found a biological reason for this.’

The metabolic changes appeared to have a role in determining fertility, said the scientists writing in the journal eLife. 

Female flies produced fewer eggs when the juvenile hormone was prevented from enlarging their intestines.

Human mothers are thought to experience similar intestinal growth after becoming pregnant.

If her hormone levels fail to normalise after birth, a mother’s enlarged intestine might continue to absorb more calories, said the researchers.

The authors write: ‘inappropriate persistence’ of changes to the digestive system ‘could similarly contribute to the post pregnancy weight retention in humans’.

Dr Joe McNamara, head of population and systems medicine at the MRC, said: ‘This research points to a new scientific explanation why eating for two during pregnancy is not necessary, and may even be harmful, as a growing body of evidence indicates that a mother’s diet can impact a child’s propensity to be obese in later life.

‘The important next step will be to reproduce these findings in humans.’

NHS guidelines advise who warn that mothers becoming overweight while pregnant can cause a number of serious health problems for themselves and their baby.

Doctors now only advise to eat a little bit more – 200 extra calories – in the last three months of pregnancy. 

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter


 
  • Video
 
 
  • Event calendar
 
 
  • Archive
 
  • Most read
 
  • Find us on Facebook
 
  • Poll
Are you aware that in 2027 medical insurance will become mandatory for all Armenian citizens?
I’m aware, and I'm in favor
I’m not aware, and I'm against
I'm aware, but I'm still undecided
I'm not aware, but in principle I'm in favor
I'm not aware, but in principle I'm against
It doesn't matter to me