Fasting is a popular choice for weight management and general health these days... the list
of potential benefits include improving blood pressure, decreasing inflammation and controlling
blood sugar levels - all of which are desirable during pregnancy, but is fasting during pregnancy
safe? I've reviewed the latest evidence, so stay tuned and I'll share with you what I've found...
Welcome! My name is Melanie McGrice and I'm a pre and postnatal dietitian.
I help women give their baby's the best start possible with the power of good food.
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you'll find all the details in the description box below this video.
So, is fasting during pregnancy safe?
Well, firstly, it depends upon what you mean by 'fasting'? It's tricky to interpret the research
as there's many different types of fasting... Are you thinking about restricting all foods
or just some foods? Are you thinking about simply restricting foods for a few hours,
such as ceasing eating at 4pm and fasting until 8am the next morning? Or
are you thinking about restricting eating to a window of only a few hours each day?
Are you planning to fast for a day, maybe for a medical test? A week? A month? Or
your entire pregnancy? Can you see how it's difficult to lump everyone's question into one?
Furthermore, my response will also change based upon who is asking... why do you want to fast?
How far along are you in your pregnancy? Do you have any pregnancy complications?
Have you ever had a miscarriage? Are you underweight? Or overweight? Have you had a
previous eating disorder? Do you have any medical conditions which may be benefited or worsened by
fasting? Are you taking medication which may be impacted by fasting? These considerations
and more will also impact whether or not fasting is something that you should consider.
With all that in mind, different studies have shown both benefits and risks of fasting during
pregnancy. For example, one study of Iraqi women compared 155 who fasted for Ramadan during
daylight hours during their second trimester of pregnancy with 146 women who did not. The study
found that women who fasted had a lower risk of gestational diabetes and were less likely to gain
excessive weight. So, good news. However, a study of more than 78, 000 Canadian women found that fasting during
the second trimester of pregnancy significantly increased the risk of very preterm birth.
That's you baby being born before 37 weeks.
Which can have lifelong impacts on your baby, and strongly cautioned against this practice.
It's important to note though, that food deprivation during pregnancy
has been linked to being born with growth restrictions
as well as preterm, where your baby is born early and underdeveloped.
So, you can see that it's not a simple question to answer. In summary, my advice would be to
avoid fasting during pregnancy unless you get personalised advice from a prenatal dietitian.
If you'd like to book a personalised consultation with me or one of my team members,
you can find our details in the comments box below.
Alternatively, download my free pregnancy meal plan
from melaniemcgrice.com/pregnancy for advice on how you can optimise your pregnancy eating in a healthy way.
And make sure that you subscribe for my regular nutrition tips.
I'll looking forward to seeing you in my next video!