The importance of dietary fiber in the nutrition of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Background. Gestational diabetes mellitus is becoming an increasingly serious public health problem. Gestational diabetes mellitus significantly increases the risk of future maternal prediabetes as well as serious short- and long-term maternal and neonatal complications, including pre-eclampsia, maternal cardiovascular disease and stillbirth, macrosomia, birth trauma, respiratory distress, hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and obesity in the child. Diet is the first-line treatment for gestational diabetes mellitus, even if it should be combined with physical activity correction and insulin therapy. Each meal should contain slowly digestible carbohydrates, protein, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, and dietary fiber. Dietary fibers are components of food that the body cannot fully digest, so this type of carbohydrate is not used for energy purposes. However, they must be included in the human diet. Most people eat less than 20 g of dietary fiber per day, of which 8-10 g usually come from bread and other cereal products, about 2-3 g from potatoes, 5-6 g from vegetables and only 1-2 g from fruits and berries. In order to make up for the deficit of dietary fiber intake, food products are enriched with them. Insoluble dietary fiber added to cereal products – bran bread, bread made from whole grains. Soluble dietary fiber, such as inulin, which stimulates the growth of beneficial intestinal microorganisms, enriched dairy products (yogurt). The preventive and ameliorating effects of dietary fiber in relation to gestational diabetes mellitus are well documented in many studies. For example, it has been shown that women with the highest dietary fiber intake before pregnancy had a lower risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus. Results. This review focuses on studies of the use of dietary fiber as an adjunct to dietary recommendations to improve glycemic profiles, and shows the role of viscous soluble fibers, including potential use of psyllium.