Dietary Intake of Red and Orange Vegetables in Pregnancy: Comparison with Dietary Guidelines for Americans
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Date
2024-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Background: National data indicate that many pregnant women do not consume the recommended amount of red/orange vegetables for a healthy diet during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to characterize dietary patterns of red and orange vegetables, and their associated nutrients (vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber) across pregnancy, relative to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendations and examine the relationship of red and orange vegetable intake with weight gain across pregnancy.
Theoretical framework: The Developmental Origin of Health and Disease framework guided this research.
Methods: This prospective secondary analysis included a convenience sample of nulliparous pregnant women (n=58) derived from a parent study examining the relationship between dietary intake and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The participants were prospectively recruited from communities in the Midwest in the first trimester of pregnancy. Demographic data were self-reported. Dietary intake was estimated in each trimester of pregnancy using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) documenting intake of individual food items (n=58) with typical servings (e.g., 1 cup winter squash, 1 medium tomato) and frequency of consumption (e.g., per day, week, month) consumed over the past 3 months with frequency of consumption converted to daily intake/servings. The typical dietary intake of red/orange vegetables, vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, and potassium across the previous 3 months was determined. Weight across pregnancy was derived from medical record data extraction and BMI was calculated. Descriptive statistics (mean + SD), frequencies, and percentages were used to describe variables of interest. Repeated measures ANOVAs average intake across trimesters. Differences between dietary intake in pregnancy and the relationship with gestational weight gain (GWG) were determined by Fisher Exact tests. Significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: The majority of the participants did not meet DGA guidelines for red/orange vegetables, (5.17%, 6.9%, and 10.53% in trimesters 1,2, and 3 respectively) but met recommendations for potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C intake because other sources of food are high in these components. Women who consumed the recommended amount of red/orange vegetables in just one of the three trimesters of pregnancy (p=0.02) and specifically in the third trimester (p=0.02) were more likely to achieve the recommended GWG.
Conclusions: In this study, women who consumed optimal red and orange vegetable dietary intake were more likely to experience healthy weight gain during their pregnancy. Women in the third trimester who consumed adequate intake of red and orange vegetables were more likely to achieve GWG. Optimal red and orange vegetable intake can support a healthy weight gain for pregnant women.
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Keywords
pregnancy, red and orange vegetables, vegetables, dietary guidelines for americans, maternal intake