What Every Woman Should Know by Griselda Mussett

An independent academic study was recently published in Jackson, Mississippi* suggesting that a nutritional supplement of fruits and vegetables in capsules may reduce the incidence of some obstetric complications. 

The supplement - called Juice Plus+ - consists of 17 whole fruits and vegetables chosen for their nutritional density, grown without chemicals or pesticides in pure conditions with plenty of sunlight. The produce is grown to full ripeness, washed, juiced, carefully dried at low temperature, and the resulting powders are blended and put into capsules.  It contains a broad spectrum of phytonutrients which act in synergy with each other, with remarkable results. 

The research looked at the results of 356 pregnancies at the Medical Centre in Jackson. Half of the women (total 178) had added the Juice Plus+ capsules to their standard obstetric care while half (also 178) did not, and the outcomes for the two groups were monitored.

 

Obstetric Outcomes	Juice Plus+ (178 pregnancies)	Control (178 pregnancies)
Pre-term Labour	0	16 (9%)
Pre-eclampsia	0	38 (21%)
PROM (Premature Rupture of Membrane)	0	6 (3%)
Gestational Age       32 weeks	0	8 (4%)
37 weeks	0	35 (20%)
41 weeks	9 (5%)	10 (6%)
Caesarian delivery	47%	66%

 

Neonatal Outcomes	Juice Plus+ (178 births)	Control (178 births)
Birth Weight (grams)	3507 +/- 424	3280 +/- 709
Respiratory Distress	0	13 (17%)
NICU Admission	0	17 (10%)

There was a wide variety of differences seen in the two groups, including the duration of the pregnancy, early labour, the need for Caesarian delivery, the birth weight of the child, breathing difficulties, the need for intensive care for the baby, and (most dangerous for mother and child) the incidence of pre-eclampsia.

The study arose when one obstetrician put all his pregnant patients onto Juice Plus+ and the birthing centre subsequently noticed that all ‘his’ babies had fewer complications, so this is not a ‘gold-standard’ study.  However, the results are so remarkable that a new international gold-standard academic study has now been set up: prospective, double-blinded, cross-over and placebo controlled. Furthermore, a leading physician in the USA (Dr Ric du Bois, President of the Medical Association in Atlanta, Georgia) said he thinks Juice Plus+ will become standard care for pregnancies world wide.

Looking at the details of the study, none of the women in the first group (taking the Juice Plus+) had pre-term labour, while 16 of the non-supplement group did.

None of the first group had Premature Rupture of Membrane, while 6 of the second group did.

Gestation periods were also different for the two groups: the earliest delivery was 41 weeks in the first group and 32 weeks in the control group. In fact 20% of the second group were born before 37 weeks. Normal pregnancies run to 37 – 43 weeks.

Fewer women in the first group had Caesarian deliveries – 47% against 66%.

The outcomes for the babies themselves were also different in the two groups: the average birthweight of the first group’s babies was 3507 grams (plus or minus 424), while the second group’s was 3280 grams (plus or minus 709). So the first group had heavier babies on average, with a smaller variation in size. 

None of the first group suffered respiratory distress, while 13 of the second group did. None of the babies in the first group needed to go to intensive care, while 17 of the second group did.

Most striking of all, while none of the first group of mothers had pre-eclampsia, 38 (21%) from the second group did. This terrifying condition can develop very rapidly and can kill mother, baby or both. One young mother known to me had pre-eclampsia and was in a coma for nearly a month. She and her baby survived, but the child was only about one pound in weight when born by Caesarian section and was in intensive care for three months after birth. Her lungs were not fully developed when she was born, and she had to have corrective surgery two or three times in infancy for eye defects and other problems.

Doctors involved in the Mississippi study say that pre-eclampsia is related to oxidative stress of the placenta.  Good nutrition is known to enhance the likelihood of healthy pregnancies, and these scientists say the phytonutrients in Juice Plus+ may decrease obstetric complications.  It seems likely that the benefits of the phytonutrients directly affect the cardio-vascular systems, including the endothelium (lining of all the blood vessels) and the placenta.

Juice Plus+ capsules were developed in America as a convenient, simple, consistent and affordable method to take 17 fresh raw whole fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.  They have undergone more independent academic scrutiny than any other nutritional supplement in the world, with 12 gold-standard studies published to date, including one by Kings College, London in 2000 and one underway at the University of Birmingham. This in turn is attracting the attention of health care professionals in the UK including medical specialists in ophthalmology, oncology, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and others.

Juice Plus+ has been shown to reduce oxidative stress: the enzymes and other phytonutrients from the 17 fruits and vegetables can deal with the free radicals (oxidants) while boosting energy and the immune system. This is because the fruits and veggies are grown in optimum conditions to their full ripeness and are processed at their peak, rather than being produced as agrochemical products, picked unripe and stored under gas, as many of our supermarket fruits and vegetables are today. They contain the whole broad range of nutrition which we evolved to depend on.

It is only possible to buy Juice Plus+ through a distributor, so contact the author, Griselda Mussett for more information. 01795 538821 / 0797 492 1913 (UK) www.juiceplus.co.uk/+gm027255
mussetts@btinternet.com

* ‘Phytonutrients may decrease obstetric complications: a retrospective study’, by Odom, Chauhan, Magann, Martin, Rose & Morrison; The Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association, Vol. 9, No.1, 2006.