Can a Carbohydrate Found in Many Fruits Lower Risk for Gestational Diabetes?

In a controlled trial, obese pregnant women who received myo-inositol supplementation had lower incidence of GDM.

Many fruits are rich in myo-inositol, a stereoisomer of the carbohydrate inositol. Myo-inositol is an intracellular second messenger that may act as an insulin sensitizer. To test the hypothesis that myo-inositol consumption can lower risk for developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), 220 pregnant obese women were randomized at 12 to 13 weeks' gestation to receive 4 g of myo-inositol plus a folic acid supplement daily or folic acid alone (control group). Significantly more women with family histories of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were randomized to the control group, enriching this group for women at risk for developing GDM. All subjects underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24 to 28 weeks' gestation.

The OGTT rev…

Reviewing Author

Robert L. Barbieri, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Robert L. Barbieri, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Can a Carbohydrate Found in Many Fruits Lower Risk for Gestational Diabetes?

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Reviewing Author