Garlic and Dried Fruits May Help Maintain a Healthy Pregnancy

by | Jul 22, 2013 | 2013, Fruits and Vegetables, Garlic, Pregnancy and Lactation, Reproductive Health, Women's Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In a study of 18,888 Nowegian mothers, this study determined that women who consumed dried fruit had a 21% reduced risk of spontaneous preterm birth.

According to the World Health Organization, preterm delivery is one of the most important causes of neonatal deaths worldwide (1), with a 13% rate in the United States (2,3). The lowest rates are in  Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, and Greenland) at 5.6% (4). Preterm birth, defined as birth before the 37th week of pregnancy, accounted for 37% of all infant deaths in 2008 and costs our healthcare system $26 billion per year (5).

Bacterial infections and inflammatory conditions in the genital tract are estimated to account for 25-40% of spontaneous preterm delivery (6). The researchers suggest that infections in any part of the body might influence the reproductive system by entering the abdominal cavity or through the lower genital tract. The infections initiate an inflammatory process, which stimulate the products of a hormone prostaglandin E2, which helps dilate the uterus (cervix) in a pregnant woman and thereby induce a pre-term birth (7).

There are two types of preterm delivery: spontaneous (40% of preterm deliveries) and medically-induced (60% of preterm deliveries). Spontaneous preterm deliveries have been found to be due to different infections (7) and high levels of inflammation (8). Now a new study (9) suggests that garlic and dried fruits may help maintain a healthy pregnancy.

In the study, researchers reviewed data on 18,888 mothers who participated in The Norwegian Mother and Child  Cohort Study, conducted from 1999-2008, (10) who provided information on dietary habits and intake of dietary supplements during the first 4–5 months of pregnancy (11). The researchers found that compared to those who did not consume dried fruit, those who consumed a low amount (1.64 grams or less per day) had a 21% reduced risk of spontaneous preterm birth (p = 0.004) while those consuming higher amounts (more than1.64 grams per day) had a 19% reduced risk of spontaneous preterm delivery (p < 0.014). The researchers did not provide any rationale for the slightly decreased risk reduction with increased dried fruit intake.

When they looked at garlic consumption, those consuming less than 0.40 grams per day of garlic had a 15% reduced risk of spontaneous preterm delivery (p = 0.047) while those consuming more than 0.40 grams per day of garlic had a 21% reduced risk (p = 0.029).

When suggesting how garlic and dried fruits helped maintain a healthy pregnancy, the researchers pointed to “garlic’s innumerable biological activities”, especially its’ antibacterial properties against harmful bacteria (12) that include E. coli, S. aureus, E. faecalis ( 13), and K. pneumonia (14), Candida bacteria and T. vaginalis (15,16). As for dried fruit, the researcher pointed specifically to raisins and their antibacterial property against S. mutans, a bacteria presently mostly in the mouth but has been known to cause bacterial vaginosis and increase the risk of preterm delivery (17).

For the researchers, “intake of food with antimicrobial and prebiotic compounds may be of importance to reduce the risk of spontaneous preterm delivery”.

Source: Myhre, Ronny, et al. “Intakes of garlic and dried fruits are associated with lower risk of spontaneous preterm delivery.” The Journal of nutrition 143.7 (2013): 1100-1108.

© 2013 American Society for Nutrition.

Posted on July 22, 2013.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

References:

  1. Liu L, Johnson HL, Cousens S, Perin J, Scott S, Lawn JE, Rudan I, Campbell H, Cibulskis R, Li M, et al. Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality: an updated systematic analysis for 2010 with time trends since 2000. Lancet. 2012;379:2151–61.
  2. Ananth CV, Joseph KS, Oyelese Y, Demissie K, Vintzileos AM. Trends in preterm birth and perinatal mortality among singletons: United States, 1989 through 2000. Obstet Gynecol. 2005;105:1084–91.
  3. Goldenberg RL, Culhane JF, Iams JD, Romero R. Epidemiology and causes of preterm birth. Lancet. 2008;371:75–84.
  4. MorkenNH, Vogel I, Kallen K, Skjaerven R, Langhoff-Roos J, Kesmodel US, Jacobsson B. Reference population for international comparisons and time trend surveillance of preterm delivery proportions in three countries. BMC Women’s Health. 2008;8:16.
  5. “Preterm Labor” posted on the CDC website
  6. McGregor JA, et al., Antenatal microbiologic and maternal risk factors associated with prematurity. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1990; 163: 1465-73.
  7. Romero JC, et al., Mechanisms underlying pressure-related natriuresis: the role of the rennin-angiotensin and prostaglandin systems. State of the Art Lecture. Hypertension. 1988;11:724-38.
  8. Leitich H, Kiss H. Asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis and intermediate flora as risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcome. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2007;21:375–90.
  9. Menon R, Fortunato SJ. Infection and the role of inflammation in preterm premature rupture of the membranes. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2007;21:467–78.
  10. Myhre R.  Intakes of garlic and dried fruits are associated with lower risk of spontaneous preterm delivery J Nutr. 2013 Jul;143(7):1100-8. doi: 10.3945/jn.112.173229. Epub 2013 May 22.
  11. Magnus P, Irgens LM, Haug K, Nystad W, Skjaerven R, Stoltenberg C. Cohort profile: the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Int J Epidemiol. 2006;35:1146–50.
  12. Meltzer HM, Brantsaeter AL, Ydersbond TA, Alexander J, Haugen M.Methodological challenges when monitoring the diet of pregnant women in a large study: experiences from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Matern Child Nutr. 2008;4:14–27.
  13. Ankri S, Mirelman D. Antimicrobial properties of allicin from garlic. Microbes Infect. 1999;1:125–9.
  14. Ruddock PS, Liao M, FosterBC, Lawson L, Arnason JT, Dillon JA. Garlic natural health products exhibit variable constituent levels and antimicrobial activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. Phytother Res. 2005;19:327–34.
  15. Dikasso D. Investigation on the antibacterial properties of garlic (Allium sativum) on pneumonia causing bacteria. Ethiop Med J. 2002;40:241–9.
  16. Ruiz R, GarciaMP, Lara A, Rubio LA. Garlic derivatives (PTS and PTS-O) differently affect the ecology of swine fecal micro biota in vitro. Vet Microbial. 2010;144:110–7.
  17. Sarkari B, Tadayon H, Askarian S, Farnia E, Askarian M. In vitro anti- Trichomonas activity of Freula assafoetida and garlic extracts [English abstract; Iranian article]. J Gorgan Univ Med Sci. 2009;11:13–7.
  18. Wu CD. Grape products and oral health. J Nutr. 2009;139 Suppl:1818S–23S.