Effect of blueberry supplementation in overweight and obese pregnant women

Childhood obesity is a serious problem growing worldwide that needs to be early considered and treated. Maternal overweight and obesity lead to foetal complications and to an increased risk of child obesity. Blueberry bio-active compounds have antioxidant properties and improve insulin sensitivity in obese individuals. We proposed a daily integration of a freeze-dried blueberry extract in the last trimester of a population of overweight and obese pregnant women. Mother cytokine milieu, birth weight and at age one, were compared with a matched control group. Results: birth weight was significantly lower in those whose mothers assumed the blueberry extract (male: 3636 gr ± 56,7 in control group and 3302 gr ± 60,9 in the blueberry, P=.001; female: 3446 gr ± 53 in control group and 3094 gr ± 65,5 in the blueberry, P <.0001) and this result remained comparable at age one (male control group: 9597 gr ± 134,4; blueberry: 8656 gr ± 271,9; P=.0021; female control group: 8812 ± 167,5; blueberry: 8083 ± 266,3; P=.0211); pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and leptin) were significantly reduced in the blueberry group (control 29,89 pg/mL ± 0,283 vs blueberry 8,124 ng/mL ± 0,1085 and 17,28 ± 0,4742 vs 6,977 ± 0,1187, respectively); anti-inflammatory cytokines (TGF-β and IL-4) were significantly increased in the blueberry group (control 4,196 pg/ml ± 0,9752 vs blueberry 14,87 pg/ml ± 0,8844 and 14,87 pg/ml ± 0,8844 vs 55,22 ± 1,47, respectively), CRP levels were significantly lower in the blueberry group (control 5,917 mg/L ± 0,698 vs blueberry 3,741 mg/L ± 0,6279). Conclusion: a daily dietary supplementation with bioactive from whole blueberries in overweight and/or obese pregnant women is an effective intervention to reduce the risk of foetal macrosomia and early childhood obesity.