In the press this morning is an article suggesting that a high fat diet during pregnancy may lead to obese children. It went on to suggest that offspring were obese even when they (the offspring) did not eat a high fat diet after birth; the offspring also had high triglycerides in their blood.
The study was completed in rats and the full reference citation is not yet available; they report it’s to be published in the November issue of Journal of Neuroscience.
‘Nutrition in a sound bite’ often leads to confusion and misinformation and frequently does not serve or improve the health of our society. What’s the solution?
Here’s the scenario.
*We know most women (over 90%) do not consume the minimum recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy - the minimum.
*We know omega-3 fatty acids are nutritionally essential during pregnancy; omega-3 fatty acids are required for normal development of the brain, nerves and eyes in children.
*Omega-3s are dietary essential nutrients. The human body does not make them; they must come from diet. There is no substitute.
*We know inadequate intake of omega-3s during pregnancy compromises the health and IQ in children.
*We have failed to distinguish quality of fat. Not all fats are the same. Omega-3s are essential and necessary, while saturated and trans fats need to be limited.
*Young women may see this report and make choices to reduce fat in their diet, including omega-3s, unless they are under the care of a savvy professional who is nutritionally informed. *Too little omega-3 consumption during pregnancy may increase risk for post-partum depression
THE RESULT; a blanket reduction of fat in the diet during pregnancy does not improve the health status of our pregnant women or their offspring.
There lies the conundrum.
What is the solution? If the offspring in this study had high triglycerides, we know the mothers did not consume adequate omega-3s.
I am looking for input. How do we keep nutrition messaging simple enough, but complete enough to promote the overall healthful messages important for our communities?
I would love to hear from you.
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