Vegetarian Diet With Gestational Diabetes: What You Need To Know

If you are at risk of developing gestational diabetes or have experienced this condition during a previous pregnancy, consuming a vegetarian diet until your delivery may help boost your overall health. A vegetarian diet will decrease your likelihood of experiencing gestational diabetes or other complications that may affect you negatively and your baby.

However, it is relevant to consult your doctor before making a drastic change to your diet to ensure that you still can get the nutrients you need.

What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Even if you are healthy enough that your hormones manage your blood sugar, pregnancy causes a wide range of changes to your hormones. These changes can lead to similar effects of type 1 and 2 diabetes if your hormones lose their ability to control blood sugar levels.

Although there are several potential risk factors, this tends to be especially true if your diet is high in sugar. It means that being cautious about choosing healthy foods during pregnancy can help lower your risk of developing gestational diabetes.

Although this condition will typically go away on its own shortly after your delivery, it is also possible for gestational diabetes to make you more susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes in the future. This is likely if your most significant risk factors are related to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Gestational diabetes can also lead to several potential complications for you and your baby during and after pregnancy.

Risk factors for gestational diabetes

Although fitting into one of these categories does not necessarily mean that you will develop gestational diabetes, having multiple risk factors can significantly increase your overall risk. Here are some of the most significant factors that may put you at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes.

Obesity/low activity level

Women who are obese and inactive tend to be more likely to develop gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Living a sedentary lifestyle and eating too many unhealthy foods, especially those that are high in sugar, can make you more likely to develop gestational diabetes because they negatively impact your ability to balance the food you consume with the nutrients your body actually needs.

Pregnancy can impact your ability to adhere to your usual lifestyle choices. This is because you may be limited in the amount of time you can safely work out during pregnancy.  Moreover, avoiding sugar can be especially difficult when you frequently need something sweet out of nowhere.

However, putting extra effort into choosing healthy foods as often as possible and being as active as you can, even with these irregularities, are among the most important steps you can take to lower your susceptibility to gestational diabetes.

Other health concerns

Other health issues, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and high blood pressure can make you more likely to develop gestational diabetes. Many of these conditions come from similar sources, including a poor diet and lack of exercise.

Age

Like many potential concerns when attempting to have a healthy pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby, older women are often more likely to develop gestational diabetes than younger women. Although this can sometimes be based on the fact that older women are often more likely to develop other risk factors that can contribute to the condition, age can also be a major factor on its own.

Genetics

Genetics can also play a major role in determining your overall risk level for gestational diabetes. Although other risk factors are still important, you may be more likely to develop the condition if one or more immediate family members has experienced gestational diabetes or has another type of diabetes.

Previous pregnancy concerns

You may be more likely to develop gestational diabetes than the average if you have experienced this condition during a previous pregnancy. Although anyone can develop gestational diabetes under the right conditions, repeat cases tend to be more frequent than new ones. Previous concerns during pregnancy, such as delivering a baby with unusually high birth weight, may also increase your risk of experiencing gestational diabetes.

Having at least one previous baby that weighed nine or more pounds at birth can be a sign that proactive measures should be taken to prevent or minimize the potential effects of gestational diabetes on your current pregnancy.

Can you prevent gestational diabetes with a vegetarian diet?

Eating a vegetarian diet cannot guarantee that you will not develop gestational diabetes, especially if you meet the criteria for several risk factors. However, it is a healthy option that can significantly lower your risk. Most vegetarian options fit the general guidelines for foods recommended during pregnancy, such as being high in fiber and low in fat, sugar, and calories.

Combining these foods with an active lifestyle can help keep the overall balance of your hormones during pregnancy and help you avoid gaining excessive weight, which can go a long way toward lowering your risk of developing gestational diabetes or other severe.

Can a vegetarian diet help manage gestational diabetes?

While gestational diabetes generally will not disappear until shortly after your baby is born, switching to a vegetarian diet after being diagnosed can help you manage symptoms and lessen the condition's impact on you and your baby.

Untreated gestational diabetes can lead to preterm birth, excessive birth weight, preeclampsia, an increased likelihood of requiring a C-section, a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes after pregnancy, a higher risk of your baby experiencing obesity, and several other concerns. However, taking steps to manage the condition as soon as it is detected, such as switching to a vegetarian diet and improving your exercise routine, can help to lower your likelihood of experiencing the most significant complications.

Which foods should be avoided by someone with gestational diabetes?

Sweets and simple carbohydrates tend to be the most problematic foods for women with gestational diabetes. Both contribute to blood sugar increases at any time, which can become significant spikes once changes in your hormones are taking place.

This means that avoiding foods in both of these categories as much as possible is an important step in keeping your weight and your blood sugar under control throughout your pregnancy. Some of the most important foods to avoid include French fries, other potato products, white rice, soda, candy, and other sweets.

What can I eat if I'm on a vegetarian diet?

Eating a vegetarian diet does not restrict you to only eating vegetables while pregnant. You still need to make sure you are consuming plenty of nutrients to support yourself and your baby. This means eating more than you normally would but being more careful to choose the healthiest foods possible.

This option simply means that temporarily cutting meat, especially meats that are high in fat and calories, out of your diet until your baby is born can make your overall diet healthier and less likely to lead to significant weight gain and other complications.

However, it is important to note that a vegetarian diet does not automatically disqualify sweets. You should still avoid candy, ice cream, and similar sugary foods that provide little to no nutrition as much as possible. Consuming mostly plant-based foods is still a great strategy for minimizing your risk of developing gestational diabetes.

Health benefits of a vegetarian diet while pregnant

Minimizing your likelihood of developing gestational diabetes is one of the most significant benefits of following a vegetarian diet while pregnant. This option can also benefit you in several other ways. A vegetarian diet can also help reduce your risk of preeclampsia and others health issues such as asthma, diabetes, eczema, and some types of cancer.

Recommended supplements

Consuming primarily plant-based foods can be a helpful solution when it comes to minimizing your risk of developing gestational diabetes, especially if you have multiple risk factors or have had the condition during a previous pregnancy. However, making an abrupt switch to a vegetarian diet can result in not getting enough vitamins and other nutrients frequently found in meat to support you and your baby.

You should generally be taking prenatal vitamins even during a healthy pregnancy with no complications. Switching to a vegetarian diet leaves even more gaps that need to be filled using increased supplements. Some of the most helpful supplement options include iron, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, and Omega-3 fatty acids. 

The lowdown

While a vegetarian diet is not guaranteed to keep you from developing gestational diabetes, the positive effects on your overall health it can provide can go a long way toward lowering your overall risk. However, any significant changes to your diet should only be made after consulting your doctor to ensure that they will not have unintended negative effects on you or your baby.