Two hundred-ninety women (aged 21 to 38 years) with low-risk pregnancies were randomly assigned to continue their usual diet (control group) or to adopt a cholesterol-lowering diet (intervention group) that promoted fish, low-fat meats and dairy products, oils, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes from gestational week 17-20 until delivery. Maternal total- and LDL-cholesterol levels were lower in the intervention group than in the control group (p < risk =" 0.10;">
Comment: The diet used in this study contained a wide variety of healthful foods. The fact that it was a cholesterol-lowering diet may not be relevant to its beneficial effect on pregnancy outcome. Perhaps the correct conclusion is that a diet containing high-quality macronutrients and abundant amounts of micronutrients favorably influences pregnancy outcome. Eggs are high in cholesterol, but they also contain high-quality protein and a large amount of choline, a nutrient that is crucial for fetal and infant brain development. The results of the new study should not lead to the conclusion that pregnant women should avoid eating eggs.
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Khoury J, et al. Effect of a cholesterol-lowering diet on maternal, cord, and neonatal lipids, and pregnancy outcome: a randomized clinical trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2005;193:1292-1301.
COPYRIGHT 2006 The Townsend Letter Group
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