Australian researchers have shown in pregnant women that reduced levels of acetate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by fibre fermentation in the gut, is associated with pre-eclampsia.

The findings suggest that a mother’s gut bacteria could affect the outcome of pregnancies, leading the authors to recommend optimising a plant-based, high-fibre diet.

Lead author Professor Ralph Nanan says the simple recommendation to ‘eat real food, mostly plants, and not too much’ might be the most effective primary prevention strategy for pre-eclampsia.

“The mother’s gut bacteria and diet appear to be crucial to promoting a healthy pregnancy,” says Professor Nanan, from the University of Sydney School of Medicine and the Charles Perkins Centre.