Eating Low-Carb While Pregnant? Why It Might Not Be Such A Good Idea
Atkins, ketogenic, dirty keto, paleo, Whole 30, gluten-free: low-carbohydrate diets have been popular for a long time, but they are truly having a moment right now. Proponents say that not only can these diets help you lose weight rapidly, but that they also give you loads of energy, help your skin and hair glow with health, and just generally make you feel great.
If you’ve been struggling to lose those last 10 (or 20, or 30) pounds of “baby fat,” even though your “baby” is now a toddler, a low-carb diet might be pretty tempting. But if you are hoping to add to your family soon, or if you are already pregnant, you need to rethink that approach. Let’s take a closer look.
Folate, Folic Acid, and the Fetus
To understand the risk of a low-carb diet to pregnant women, we first have to understand the role of folate in the development of a healthy fetus. Folate is a form of B-vitamin; folic acid is the synthetic form of folate. Foods that contain high levels of folate include leafy greens, broccoli, beets, asparagus, legumes, nuts and seeds, and beef liver, but most people do not get enough folate naturally through their diet.
Folate and folic acid have been known to drastically reduce the incidence of neural tube birth defects, which include anencephaly and spina bifida. In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration, therefore, mandated that all grains and cereals sold in the United States be enriched with folic acid.
“The addition of folic acid to our food can eliminate over 1,300 cases of neural tube defects each year in the United States,” explains birth injury lawyer John A. Lancione. “While there are plenty of birth injuries that still occur during delivery, this is a huge development for moms-to-be.”
Enter the Low-Carb Diet; Exit the Folic Acid
The problem for pregnant women arises when they adopt a low-carbohydrate diet. Without the enriched bread, cereals, pasta, and grains to provide that extra boost of folic acid, expecting mothers can put themselves and their babies at risk for poor health and even birth defects.
Last year, the results of a decades-long study into the effects of folic acid fortification on NTDs were published in the scientific journal Birth Defects Research. According to scientists from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, "women who restrict carbohydrates may have suboptimal folate status and subsequently may be at higher risk of having an NTD-affected pregnancy."
What to Eat When You’re Expecting
To achieve “optimal folate status,” then, it’s important to incorporate whole-grain bread and pasta into your diet if you are pregnant. You don’t have to stuff yourself full of carbs, but eliminating them altogether or severely restricting them can up your chances of having a baby with a birth defect.
Stack the deck in your favor by also choosing vegetables, legumes, and other foods that are high in folate. These foods are nutrient-rich in other ways and can provide iron and calcium as well.
A pregnant woman’s protein needs are greater than during other phases of her life. It’s good to include healthy fats — omega-3s, either from fish oil or from flaxseed oil — in your diet as well.
Instead of restricting whole-grain carbohydrates, restrict heavily processed foods like chips, cookies, frozen meals, artificial flavorings, deli meat, and fast food. That will be better for you and for Baby all around.
Wrapping Up
Are you planning on having a(nother) baby soon? What steps have you taken to improve your health during the preconception period? Are there any foods you think you’ll miss, or have a hard time getting enough of, when you’re with child? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!