Obstetrics
High meat intake by pregnant women not advisable
By IANS
Apr 3, 2006 - 3:22:00 PM

Babies of women who eat high protein, including meat, and low carbohydrate diets during pregnancy may develop stress, says a study.

Researchers led by Rebecca Reynolds at the Universities of Edinburgh and Southampton studied a group of 86 children born in 1967-8 to mothers who were told to eat a pound of red meat a day to avoid pregnancy complications.

The study found the more meat the mother ate, the higher were the levels of stress hormone cortisol in the child, the online edition of BBC News reported.

Cortisol is a body hormone that is involved in the response to stress. It increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels and suppresses the immune system.

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