Inadequate Intake of Choline and Essential Fatty Acids in Latin American Childbearing-Age Women as a Regional Pre-Conceptional Disadvantage: ELANS Results – PubMed Black Hawk Supplements

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CONCLUSIONS: choline intake is inadequate, and EFA intake is variable among women of childbearing age in the ELANS study. More awareness and education are needed to achieve better intake of these nutrients.
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Inadequate Intake of Choline and Essential Fatty Acids in Latin American Childbearing-Age Women as a Regional Pre-Conceptional Disadvantage: ELANS Results - PubMed

Inadequate Intake of Choline and Essential Fatty Acids in Latin American Childbearing-Age Women as a Regional Pre-Conceptional Disadvantage: ELANS Results

Marianella Herrera-Cuenca et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background/objectives: Choline and essential fatty acids (EFA) are vital for fetal brain development, supporting pregnancy, and maintaining hormonal balance. They also promote overall health. The childbearing years present a window of opportunity to increase the intake of these key nutrients and develop healthy dietary habits. The aims of this study were to evaluate the intake of choline and EFA in women of childbearing age (15-49 years old), identify their food sources and determine if supplements containing choline and EFA were available across the Estudio Latinoamericano de Nutrición y Salud (ELANS) countries.

Methods: Survey data were collected for the ELANS, including participants from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela (n = 9218; 15-65 years old). Women of childbearing age were extracted from the largest database (n = 3704).

Results: In general, choline intake was inadequate in all countries, while EFA intake was normal or above requirements. Chile had the lowest intake of choline, and Colombia had the highest. The results showed that some countries had more inadequate choline intake than others. Consuming a larger quantity of eggs helped reduce choline inadequacy, as did including eggs and fish in the diet. The intake of EFA, including ALA, EPA, and DHA, showed variability. The contributions of EPA and DHA were lower than that of ALA, and the results differed by age group.

Conclusions: choline intake is inadequate, and EFA intake is variable among women of childbearing age in the ELANS study. More awareness and education are needed to achieve better intake of these nutrients.

Keywords: ELANS; Latin America; choline; diet; dietary intake; essential fatty acids; women of childbearing age.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1

Flow chart of selection of ELANS childbearing-age women participants.

Figure 2
Figure 2

Mean daily choline intake (mg/day) by the five most contributing food groups and ELANS countries.

Figure 3
Figure 3

CRT Tree for choline adequacy in three levels. Each box presents the choline inadequacy (in red) and the adequate choline intake (in green). The interior nodes of the tree are represented with gray boxes and the terminal nodes with white boxes.

Figure 4
Figure 4

Mean daily omega-3 intake (g/day) by the five most contributing food groups and ELANS countries.

Figure 5
Figure 5

Mean daily omega-6 intake (g/day) by the five most contributing food groups and ELANS countries.

References

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Grants and funding

The ELANS was initially supported by a scientific grant from the Coca-Cola Company and support from the Ferrero, Instituto Pensi/Hospital Infantil Sabara, International Life Science Institute of Argentina, Universidad de Costa Rica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Universidad Central de Venezuela/Fundación Bengoa, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and Instituto de Investigación Nutricional de Peru. The founding sponsors had no role in study design, data collection, analyses, or interpretation; writing of the manuscript; or the decision to publish the results. A grant from Abbott was received for the analysis of choline and EFA. The sponsor was not involved in any of the stages of this research.

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Inadequate Intake of Choline and Essential Fatty Acids in Latin American Childbearing-Age Women as a Regional Pre-Conceptional Disadvantage: ELANS Results – PubMed