http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...23/ixhome.html

Below is the Medline abstract:
NOTE: there was no elevated risk for glucose (blood sugar) and fructose
(fruit sugar), just for sucrose (table sugar) and high GI starchy meals.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Nov;78(5):972-8.

Neural tube defects associated with maternal periconceptional dietary intake
of simple sugars and glycemic index.

Shaw GM, Quach T, Nelson V, Carmichael SL, Schaffer DM, Selvin S, Yang W.

March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, California Birth Defects Monitoring
Program, Berkeley, CA 94710, USA.

BACKGROUND: Maternal diabetes, prepregnancy obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and
intakes of sweets have been associated with increased risks of neural tube
defects (NTDs). The interdependence of these factors suggests a common
pathogenesis via altered glycemic control and insulin demand.
OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether maternal periconceptional dietary
intakes of sucrose, glucose, fructose, and foods with higher glycemic index
values influence the risk of having NTD-affected pregnancies.
DESIGN: In a population-based case-control study, all hospitals in 55 of
the 58 counties in California participated. In-person interviews were
conducted with the mothers of 454 NTD cases (including fetuses and infants
who were electively terminated, stillborn, or born alive) and with the
mothers of 462 nonmalformed controls within an average of 5 mo from the term
delivery date. The risk of having an NTD-affected pregnancy was the main
outcome measure.
RESULTS: Risks of having an NTD-affected pregnancy were not substantially
elevated in relation to periconceptional intakes of glucose or fructose.
Elevated risks of approximately 2-fold were observed for higher intakes of
sucrose and foods with higher glycemic index values. Elevated risks were
observed for high sucrose intake irrespective of whether adjustment was made
for other covariates such as maternal folic acid intake. For higher glycemic
index values, adjusted elevated risks of > or = 4-fold were observed in
women whose body mass index (in kg/m(2)) was > 29.
CONCLUSION: Our observed associations support observations that potential
problems in glucose control are associated with NTD risk even among
nondiabetic women.

PMID: 14594784

Laurie wrote:
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...23/ixhome.html
>
> Below is the Medline abstract:
> NOTE: there was no elevated risk for glucose (blood sugar) and fructose
> (fruit sugar), just for sucrose (table sugar) and high GI starchy meals.

Your fruity claim that there was "no elevated risk" is bullshit. Read
the abstract again: "Risks of having an NTD-affected pregnancy were not
substantially elevated in relation to periconceptional intakes of
glucose or fructose." "Not substantially elevated" is not the same as
"no elevated risk" -- you should know better than to misrepresent the
findings as such. Once again you've relied on the popular-secular
(non-scientific) synthesis of a journalist rather than the actual words
of the study.

You've also overlooked perhaps the most important factor of the study:
pre-preganancy obesity, since it was noted the risks "increased...
fourfold... among mothers with obesity." The results aren't exactly
extraordinary given the fact that "[t]he risk of having an NTD-affected
pregnancy was the main outcome measure of the study." Look, too, at the
background of the abstract: these data were already known. The culprit
isn't food (and insulin response) alone, it's maternal physical
condition and the effects of certain foods. Obese and/or diabetic women
are at higher risk of NTD pregnancies. Wow.

BTW, what's the recommedation for controlling glycemic load in diabetic
and insulin-resistant patients, including those with maternal diabetes?
From your same source article above, the policy director of the
London-based international obesity task force said, "For instance,
simply adding milk to cornflakes lowers their GI..." That's right -- an
increase of protein intake.


> Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Nov;78(5):972-8.
>
> Neural tube defects associated with maternal periconceptional dietary intake
> of simple sugars and glycemic index.
>
> Shaw GM, Quach T, Nelson V, Carmichael SL, Schaffer DM, Selvin S, Yang W.
>
> March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, California Birth Defects Monitoring
> Program, Berkeley, CA 94710, USA.
>
> BACKGROUND: Maternal diabetes, prepregnancy obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and
> intakes of sweets have been associated with increased risks of neural tube
> defects (NTDs). The interdependence of these factors suggests a common
> pathogenesis via altered glycemic control and insulin demand.
> OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether maternal periconceptional dietary
> intakes of sucrose, glucose, fructose, and foods with higher glycemic index
> values influence the risk of having NTD-affected pregnancies.
> DESIGN: In a population-based case-control study, all hospitals in 55 of
> the 58 counties in California participated. In-person interviews were
> conducted with the mothers of 454 NTD cases (including fetuses and infants
> who were electively terminated, stillborn, or born alive) and with the
> mothers of 462 nonmalformed controls within an average of 5 mo from the term
> delivery date. The risk of having an NTD-affected pregnancy was the main
> outcome measure.
> RESULTS: Risks of having an NTD-affected pregnancy were not substantially
> elevated in relation to periconceptional intakes of glucose or fructose.
> Elevated risks of approximately 2-fold were observed for higher intakes of
> sucrose and foods with higher glycemic index values. Elevated risks were
> observed for high sucrose intake irrespective of whether adjustment was made
> for other covariates such as maternal folic acid intake. For higher glycemic
> index values, adjusted elevated risks of > or = 4-fold were observed in
> women whose body mass index (in kg/m(2)) was > 29.
> CONCLUSION: Our observed associations support observations that potential
> problems in glucose control are associated with NTD risk even among
> nondiabetic women.
>
> PMID: 14594784
>
>
>
>