Veggies Thwart Pre-term Births

A new study indicates that eating red and orange fruits and vegetables can help pregnant women reduce their risk of delivering pre-term babies. The study looked at 5,300 women who gave birth in four separate hospitals and noticed that those with higher blood levels of specific carotenoids were not as likely to give birth prematurely. Carotenoids are antioxidants that give produce a yellow, orange, or red color. They are found in tomatoes, carrots, peppers, watermelon, and oranges. According to researchers, it is too early to be sure that carotenoids have a significant positive effect by themselves, but the findings fit with current advice that pregnant women should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.