TABLE 1.
Summary of the effects elicited by plant-based and plant-rich dietary patterns during gestation1
| Plant-based and plant-rich diets in relation to | Described effects (reference) | Do studies also account for animal-derived foods? |
| Pregnancy-related issues | Lower-than-average cesarean delivery rate, lower postpartum depression, lower neonatal mortality, lower maternal mortality, lower risk of preeclampsia (7–9, 11, 14) | In reference 11, beneficial effects of low-fat dairy products are reported |
| High-fiber, low-glycemic-load or DASH diets reduce GDM (10, 15) | In reference 15, DASH diet includes low-fat dairy products | |
| Mediterranean-like diets improve ovulatory infertility, decrease preterm birth, lower gestational diabetes risk (13) | Mediterranean diet generally includes fish, dairy, and/or other animal products | |
| Prevention of pregravid obesity (16) | Iron and folate are both of plant and animal origin | |
| Reduction in gestational weight gain (17, 19) | In reference 17, beneficial effects of vegetarian diet are reported; in reference 19, certain animal products are included | |
| Reduced frequency of calf cramps (20) | Beneficial effects of (lactoovo) vegetarian diets are reported | |
| Amelioration of chronic kidney disease (21, 22) | Beneficial effects of low-protein vegan and vegetarian diets (including milk and yogurt) are reported | |
| Support of fetal growth (22–25) | In reference 24, beneficial effects of milk are reported | |
| Genotoxicant exposure | Increased protection against bulky DNA adduct accumulations; improved newborn weights (27) | No |
| Prevention of NOC exposure, decreased risk of congenital malformations and childhood brain tumors (29–31) | In reference 31, consumption of fresh fish seems beneficial in reducing the risk of astroglial tumors | |
| Pickled vegetables rich in NOCs might increase neural tube defects (32) | Intake of meat (≥1 meal/wk) and of eggs or milk (≥1 meal/wk) is considered protective | |
| Pediatric diseases | Possible reduced risk of wheeze and eczema (33, 34) | In reference 34, fish, fish products and shellfish are included |
| Meta-analysis report (i.e., 21 cohort, 15 case-control, and 26 cross-sectional studies): Mediterranean diet and diets enriched in fruits/vegetables prevent asthma, allergy, and atopic dermatitis (37) | Mediterranean diet generally includes fish, dairy, and/or other animal products | |
| Possible reduced risk of islet autoantibody production and of type 1 diabetes (40, 44, 45) | In reference 44, meat and milk products represent the major sources of retinol, selenium, and zinc | |
| Lactoovovegetarian pregnant women compared with low meat eaters and Western diet controls have lower risk of folate deficiency (46), which correlates with a reduced risk of orofacial clefts (47, 48) | In references 46 and 47, eggs and cheese are included; in reference 48, fish is included | |
| Possible reduced risk of the following tumors: pediatric ALL, Wilms tumor, primitive neuroectodermal tumors, AML (MLL+), sporadic retinoblastoma, anaplastic astrocytomas (31, 49, 54, 55, 59) | In reference 31, consumption of fresh fish seems beneficial in reducing the risk of astroglial tumors; in reference 49, the protective effects of fish are considered; in reference 54, protein sources are also of animal origin |
1
ALL, acute lymphoblastic leukemia; AML, acute myeloid leukemia; DASH, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; GDM, gestational diabetes mellitus; MLL, mixed-lineage leukemia gene; NOC, N-nitroso compound.