CNN —Mothers who followed the Mediterranean diet while pregnant improved their children’s cognitive, social and emotional development at age 2 compared with children whose mothers did not follow the diet, according to a new randomized clinical trial.
“No other dietary model possesses such an impressive accrual of scientific evidence as the traditional Mediterranean diet,” said Martínez-González, who is also an adjunct professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H.
The number of low-weight births dropped to 15.6% of the women who attended stress-reduction classes and 14% of the women who ate a Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra-virgin olive oil.
“The first arm (Mediterranean diet) addressed a more physical and direct aspect: the dietary pattern and the supply of interesting nutrients that are known to be beneficial.
Persons:
CNN —, “, ”, Miguel Martínez, David Katz, ” Katz, nutritionists, Bayley, Katz, González
Organizations:
CNN, University of Navarra, Harvard, of Public Health, True Health Initiative
Locations:
Pamplona, Spain, Chan, Boston, Barcelona