Michael Fumento wrote in his book "The Fat of Land" that average North American is more than 16 pounds heavier than average Northern European and that US has almost three times as many grossly obese people as Sweden. "Yet by our [American] standards they are doing everything wrong," he added.

Let's look at some statistical data.

Obesity(*) Trends

Europe 1961 7 % USA 1961 13 %

Sweden 1988/89 5.3 to 9.1 USA 1988/89 32 to 33.5

Europe Currently 21.0 to 20.8 USA Currently 64 to 62

All parents-to-be nurture dream of a healthy pregnancy and baby.

But modern environment and diet is deficient in many factors essential for health of mother and fetus. One of those factors is antioxidants.

The role of antioxidants like folic acid in preventing birth defects like spina bifida and cleft palate is well known. It is now included in all prenatal vitamin supplements.

But role of antioxidants like glutathione and Vitamin E in pregnancy is often overlooked.

Antioxidants and glutathione status play an important role in development and growth of fetus, maintenance of a healthy pregnancy - and even before pregnancy, in fertility and conception.

Glutathione is body's master antioxidant. It helps to regenerate stores of other antioxidants like Vitamin C and E.

It also protects both mother and fetus from damaging effects of free radicals and oxidative stress.

Many pregnancy complications and birth defects have been linked to oxidative stress, free radical damage and low glutathione levels in mother and fetus.

The role of glutathione in development of foetus and placenta is crucial. Glutathione (GSH) can control cell differentiation, proliferation, and cell death - essential functions in developing embryo.

In placenta, glutathione detoxifies pollutants before they reach developing child. Most substances or factors which cause birth defects (teratogens) are known to exert their embryotoxic effects because they cause oxidative stress.

The human placenta possesses a significant amount of glutathione S-transferase (GST) capable of detoxification or activation of drugs and pharmaceuticals during critical period of organ development in fetus.

Some drugs are known to cause birth defects in growing fetus by generating free radicals, and depleting GSH stores.

In early embryonic stages, fetus is sensitive to toxic and teratogenic effects of chemicals, whereas it is sensitive to carcinogenic effects during late fetal stages.