Dietary intake of DHA during pregnancy: a significant gap between the actual intake and current nutritional recommendations
Journal Title: Roczniki Państwowego Zakładu Higieny - Year 2018, Vol 69, Issue 4
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is indispensable to ensure proper development of the fetal central nervous system and pregnancy duration. Daily intake of DHA should be at least 100 mg higher as compared to the pre-pregnancy values. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate DHA intake during pregnancy and compare it to the current recommendations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 100 pregnant women presenting for labor at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Oncology, Medical University of Warsaw, were included in the study. DHA intake from the following sources: fish and eggs, and DHA preparations collected based on the questionnaire was investigated. RESULTS: Low dietary DHA intake (median: 60 mg/day) was observed. The values were only slightly higher (median: 90 mg/day) after DHA preparations were taken into consideration because only 28% of the pregnant women used DHA preparations. Overall, 92% of the subjects consumed <200 mg of DHA a day, which was the result of insufficient fish consumption (mean: 15 g/day). Only 10% of the respondents ate fish twice a week, in which case the DHA dietary intake was statistically significantly higher (median: 160 mg/day) (p=0.0232). Total median dietary DHA and EPA intake in the study population was 79 mg/day. CONCLUSIONS: The diet of pregnant women is largely deficient as far as DHA intake is concerned. Importantly, it is not possible to comply with current recommendations without dietary supplementation.
Authors and Affiliations
Regina Wierzejska, Mirosław Jarosz, Barbara Wojda, Magdalena Siuba-Strzelińska
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP491664
- DOI 10.32394/rpzh.2018.0044
- Views 86
- Downloads 0
Quality of drinking water from the agricultural area treated with pitcher water filters
Background. Home methods of drinking water treatment through filtration have recently become quite popular. Objective. The aim of the study was to compare chemical composition of unfiltered water with water filtered in h...
Spent yeast as natural source of functional food additives
Spent yeasts are by-products arising from beer and wine production which over many years have been chiefly used as feed additives for livestock. They contain many valuable and bioactive substances which has thereby gener...
Health risk as a consequence of exposure to trihalomethanes in swimming pool water
The article presents the formation and toxicity of trihalomethanes (THMs), substances belonging to Disinfection By-Products (DBP), formed as a result of pool water chlorination. Concentration of THMs in pool water has be...
The influence of preschool children’s diets on the risk of lifestyle diseases. A pilot study
Background. A healthy diet in early life not only contributes to physical and intellectual development, but it can also reduce the risk of disease in adulthood. There is growing evidence to indicate that childhood diets...
The use of fruit extracts for production of apple chips with enhanced antioxidant activity
Background. Style and pace of life make consumers more willing to reach for snack products. This group of processed food includes, among others, fruit chips. Due to the increasing incidence of diseases associated with th...