Development and piloting of a food-based intervention to increase vitamin E intake in pregnant women in a randomized controlled trial

Gestational Vitamin E Status and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objectives: To examine the association between vitamin E (VE) status and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted by using data of 52,791 women at 137 hospitals across 22 provinces of China. A fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level of ≥5.1 mmol/L between the 24th and 40th weeks of gestation was used as the criteria for the diagnosis of GDM. Mean FPG level and GDM rate were calculated within each combination of the first-trimester VE concentration categories and gestational change categories. The associations of the first-trimester VE concentrations and gestational VE change with FPG and GDM were examined by employing generalized additive models (GAMs). Results: 7162 (13.57%) cases were diagnosed with GDM. The GDM rate was 22.44%, 11.50%, 13.41%, 12.87%, 13.17%, 13.44%, 12.64%, and 14.24% among women with the first-trimester VE concentrations of <7.2, 7.2–7.9, 8.0–9.3, 9.4–11.0, 11.1–13.2, 13.3–15.8, 15.9–17.7, and 17.8–35.9 mg/L, respectively. The GDM rate was 15.96%, 13.10%, 13.64%, and 12.87% among women with gestational VE change of <0, 0–0.19, 0.20–0.29, ≥0.30 mg/L per week, respectively. Multivariable adjusted GAM analyses found that the first-trimester VE concentration was associated with the FPG levels and GDM risk in an L-shaped pattern; the FPG levels and GDM risk decreased sharply to a threshold (around 7 mg/L), and then were keep flat. Gestational VE decreases when the first-trimester VE level was less than 11 mg/L were related to increased FPG levels and GDM risk. Conclusions: Both low first-trimester VE levels and subsequent gestational VE decrease were related with increased risk of GDM. The findings suggest the necessity of having VE-rich foods and appropriate VE supplementation to prevent GDM for pregnant women with low baseline VE levels.

Gastronomic Heritage of Făgăraș Land: A Worthwhile Sustainable Resource

The present study highlights the value of gastronomy and culinary practices in Făgăraș County as a dimension of the Intangible Cultural Heritage that can contribute to the sustainable development of the area. The field research carried out within an interdisciplinary project of the Transilvania University of Brașov pointed out the importance of the different “ciorbe” (sour soups) in the local gastronomy of Făgăraș County. Our groundwork found some traditional local soups and soup recipes. Starting from these results, the study stresses the opportunity to exploit this heritage resource through social entrepreneurship. To uphold this perspective, our study highlights that soups and sour soups are prepared with local ingredients, that women in the area are experienced and have the willingness to cook together. The tourist specificity of the area favors the creation of a local network between entrepreneurs from all over the country. The main contribution of the study derives from the fact that it presents arguments that show the generosity of gastronomy and culinary practices as a heritage resource, illustrating that a popular culinary product can grow and become a local brand.

Intake of Vitamin E and C in Women of Reproductive Age: Results from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS)

Vitamin E was identified as a lipophilic compound essential to maintain rat pregnancy. Low vitamin E intake during early pregnancy associates with congenital malformations and embryonic loss in animals and with miscarriage and intrauterine growth restriction in humans. Vitamin E protects cell membranes from lipoperoxidation and exerts non-antioxidant activities. Its function can be restored by vitamin C; thus, intake and circulating levels of both micronutrients are frequently analyzed together. Although substantial vitamin E inadequacy was reported worldwide, its consumption in Latin America (LatAm) is mostly unknown. Using data from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (Estudio Latinoamericano de Nutrición y Salud, ELANS), we evaluated vitamin E and C intake in women of reproductive age (WRA) from eight LatAm countries and identified their main food sources. Two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls in 3704 women aged from 15 to 49 years and living in urban locations showed low average intake of vitamin E (7.9 mg/day vs. estimated average requirement (EAR) of 12 mg/day) and adequate overall vitamin C consumption (95.5 mg/day vs. EAR of 60 mg/day). The mean regional inadequacy was 89.6% for vitamin E and 36.3% for vitamin C. The primary food sources of vitamin E were fats and oils, as well as vegetables. Vitamin C intake was explained mainly by the consumption of fruit juices, fruits, and vegetables. Combined deficient intake of both vitamins was observed in 33.7% of LatAm women. Although the implications of low antioxidant vitamins' consumption in WRA are still unclear, the combined deficient intake of both vitamins observed in one-third of ELANS participants underscores the need for further research on this topic.

Maternal vitamin D and E intakes in pregnancy and asthma to age 15 years: A cohort study

This study investigated whether the previously reported associations in this birth cohort between maternal vitamin D and E intakes during pregnancy and childhood wheeze/asthma outcomes at age 5 and 10 years are still evident at age 15 years. In a prospective study of 1924 children recruited in utero, maternal vitamin D and E intakes during pregnancy were assessed by food frequency questionnaire and the children completed raespiratory questionnaire at age 15 years. Treatment for asthma at age 15 was also ascertained using healthcare data. Maternal vitamin D and E intakes were also related to combined childhood asthma data collected at 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15 years of age. Symptom data were available for 747 (39%) 15-year olds and healthcare data for 1689 (88%). There were no associations between maternal vitamin D and E intakes and childhood wheeze and asthma at age 15. Analysis of combined data collected between 1 and 15 years of age demonstrated that higher maternal vitamin D and E intakes during pregnancy were associated with a reduced likelihood of being diagnosed with asthma in the first 15 years: hazard ratio (95%CI) per quartile increase in vitamin intake of 0.87 (0.78,0.98) and 0.88 (0.78,0.98), respectively. Lower maternal vitamin D and E intakes during pregnancy are associated with increased risk of children wheezing and being diagnosed with asthma in the first 10 years but not after puberty, suggesting that post-natal exposures predominate in the etiology of incident asthma as children transition through puberty into adulthood.

As You Eat It: Effects of Prenatal Nutrition on Asthma

Asthma most frequently develops early in life, and increased recognition of the role of lifestyle and environmental factors in asthma susceptibility raises the possibility that dietary exposures during pregnancy may influence the risk of asthma in offspring. This review discusses the latest evidence with regard to the effect of diet during pregnancy on childhood asthma risk, including potential mechanisms, outcomes of randomized clinical trials, and results from observational studies. Vitamin D and polyunsaturated fatty acid intake during pregnancy are highlighted as areas with large and growing bodies of literature to support a potential role in prenatal modulation of subsequent asthma risk. Several other nutritional interventions are under active investigation, and recommendations regarding dietary modifications during pregnancy will likely need to be personalized based on factors such as maternal smoking and genetic variants. Although nutrition during pregnancy is uniquely challenging to investigate, and definitive recommendations cannot be made without additional high-quality evidence and knowledge regarding long-term effects of interventions, the modifiable nature of the diet and sizeable potential reduction of morbidity supports ongoing research to determine how to optimize nutrition during pregnancy to prevent asthma in offspring.