Researchers from Usman Danfodiyo University and Universiti Sains Malaysia have found that propolis is beneficial for pregnant women with diabetes. The study, which was published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, shows that eating propolis can lead to better pregnancy outcomes and reduce placental oxidative stress.

• Increase in blood sugar levels due to diabetes has potentially detrimental effects on fetal development. Previous studies have shown that mothers who already have diabetes before becoming pregnant are more likely to give birth to babies with congenital malformations.
• Problems with fetal development can also be attributed to the high amounts of placental oxidative stress in women with elevated blood sugar levels.
• Propolis can improve body weight, blood sugar levels, lipid profile, malondialdehyde levels, and kidney function in rats. However, there are still no reports regarding its potential benefits against diabetes-induced impaired pregnancy outcomes and placental oxidative stress.
• In this study, the researchers determined the benefits of propolis on pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats, which were divided into the following groups:
  • Group 1 — Non-diabetic rats
  • Group 2 — Diabetic rats
  • Group 3 — Diabetic rats that received propolis (300 mg/kg)
  • Group 4 — Diabetic rats that received insulin (300 mg/kg)
  • Group 5 — Diabetic rats that received both insulin and propolis
• Pregnancy outcomes included resorption and implantation loss, number of live and dead fetuses, fetal and placental weights, and fetal fasting blood glucose. Meanwhile, placental oxidative stress was based on malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels, as well as total antioxidant capacity.
• The results of the study showed that pregnancy outcomes and placental oxidative stress improved in rats that were given propolis. Furthermore, improvements were greater when propolis was given along with insulin.

From these results, the researchers concluded that propolis is beneficial for pregnant women with diabetes. This is based on its ability to improve pregnancy outcomes and placental oxidative stress.

The full text of the study is available at this link.

If you’d like to read more news articles on the health benefits of propolis, visit Superfoods.news.

Journal Reference:

Usman UZ, Bakar ABA, Mohamed M. PROPOLIS IMPROVES PREGNANCY OUTCOMES AND PLACENTAL OXIDATIVE STRESS STATUS IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 5 December 2018;18(324). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2391-6