LONDON: Including fruit and vegetables in one’s daily diet could reduce the chances of miscarriage by almost half, says a new research that stresses the importance of a healthy, balanced diet during pregnancy.

The study of nearly 7,000 pregnant women by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine looked for links between diet, lifestyle and miscarriage, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.

Maureen Maconochie and colleagues found that pregnant women who included fruit and vegetable regularly in their diet were 46 per cent less likely to miscarry. Though the study did not look at the amount of fruit and vegetable that should be eaten, pregnant women — like the general population — are usually advised to eat five servings a day. Vitamin tablets were also found to be highly beneficial, halving the risk of miscarriage. Eating dairy products like milk, yoghurt and cheese daily cut the risk by a quarter, while twice-weekly meals of white meat or fish reduced it by around 15 per cent, the researchers said.

Those with a sweet tooth also benefited, with regular chocolate eaters 15 per cent less likely to miscarry, said the study published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

It emphasised that women should be happy and relaxed during pregnancy as separation, divorce, illness and a stressful job — all raised the likelihood of miscarriage.