5. Conclusions
gestational diabetes
GESTATIONAL DIABETES, GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS
In conclusion, our randomized controlled trial has demonstrated that in women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus, dietary counseling emphasizing the daily addition of whole berries and leafy vegetables during pregnancy directly modulates maternal metabolic parameters. The significant decreases in random blood glucose and serum IL-6, along with the significant increases in HDL-cholesterol and total serum antioxidant capacity, suggest that whole berry and leafy vegetable supplementation directly modulate the metabolic pathways that are implicated in gestational diabetes. Thus, given the significance of these findings and the relative ease of incorporating these dietary changes, whole berry and leafy vegetable supplementation must be incorporated in the clinical management of newly diagnosed gestational diabetes patients. These findings warrant larger studies to examine effects in mother-infant dyads for future health risks.