A healthy component found in red wine and grapes increases the risk of pancreatic problems in fetuses, a latest study reveals.
Researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon, found women who take resveratrol supplements during pregnancy have high chances of giving birth to babies with developmental pancreatic abnormalities.
For the study, the researchers gave resveratrol supplements every day during pregnancy to obese female macaque monkeys who were on a Western diet. The control group of monkeys was not given the supplement. Researchers compared the data with lean monkeys fed a healthy low fat diet.
The researchers monitored the monkeys closely for health complications and blood flow through the placenta was determined by ultra sound. They also analyzed the fetuses for developmental abnormalities, and findings showed definitive evidence of pancreatic abnormalities.
"The important message in this study is that women should be very careful about what they consume while pregnant, and they should not take supplements, like Resveratrol, without consulting with their doctors," Kevin L. Grove, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon, said in a press release. "What might be good for the mother may not be good for the baby."
A recent study showed that red wine and grape seed extracts may prove helpful in preventing cavities. The researchers had said that the study results could lead to the making of natural products that protect against dental diseases with fewer side effects.
The latest findings were published in the June 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal.
