06/25/2026
Dr. Brewer developed is well-known diet to help prevent and treat preeclampsia.
Now, I'm going to tell you right now that I am not an expert on the Brewer's diet.
From what I know, Dr. Brewer focused on protein, whole, nutrient-dense foods, adequate salt, and hydration to thirst.
The goals were:
1️⃣ High protein: (80 -100g/day) from meat, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds
2️⃣Higher calorie: often >2500/day
3️⃣Whole Grains: multiple servings of whole grains per day
4️⃣Dairy and Calcium Foods
5️⃣High focus on Vitamin A and Vitamin C-rich fruits and veggies
6️⃣Fats from butter, oils, avocado, and nut butters
7️⃣salting food to taste
8️⃣Drinking to thirst
Now, usually when I hear about people on this diet, all I hear is that they are doing "high protein" and that the goal of this diet is high protein....
..but I think it was so much more than that.
Brewer mentioned getting protein from a variety of sources...including eggs and dairy. Both of which contain forms of albumin (lactoalbumin and ovoalbumin). One of the Hallmarks of preeclampsia, and one of the causes of the pitting edema associated with it, is a drop in albumin. Albumin is a transport protein that moves hormones and antioxidants and helps to regulate osmotic pressure. By increasing foods with albumin, in a way, he was helping replace the Lost albumin
He encouraged consuming multiple eggs per day, along with milk and meat, which provided substantial choline intake. Some protocols recommend up to 6 eggs/day, providing 900 mg of choline from eggs alone... New studies show that higher maternal choline intake >900mg/day) in the third trimester reduces preeclampsia markers (sLFT1) by 30%.
Whole grains are high in manganese and many other minerals. Lower blood manganese is associated with preeclampsia across 18 observational studies, whereas higher blood manganese is associated with lower preeclampsia risk.
Calcium was also high in this diet. And we know through research that higher calcium intake in the first half of pregnancy is associated with a reduction of preeclampsia in later pregnancy.
He built a nutrient-dense pattern, not just a high-protein one, and I think we need to remember that as the world around us keeps pushing for ever-higher protein intake.
