Pregnant women have inadequate fiber intake while consuming fiber‐rich diets in low‐income rural setting: Evidences from Analysis of common “ready‐to‐eat” stable foods

Abstract

The intake of fiber‐rich foods during pregnancy has several health benefits to the pregnant woman including lowering the risks of diabetes, preeclampsia, and constipation. However, little is known about the content, daily intake levels, and adequacy of fiber among pregnant women in many low‐income settings. We aimed to identify common food items and determine adequacy of dietary fiber intake levels among pregnant women in rural Ethiopia. Dietary data were collected from a subsample (n = 55) of pregnant women enrolled to a larger prospective cohort study (n = 414). Dietary intake level was measured using repeated 24‐hr dietary recall method and weighing the total amount of daily food. Fiber content was determined using the Weende method supplemented by other sources.The mean [±SD] dietary fiber intake level was 25.89 [±5.09 mg/g] per day, which declined across pregnancy trimester from 26.01 [±9.18 mg/g] to 22.67 [±9.01 mg/g] and 24.56 [±9.98 mg/g] during the first, to second and third pregnancy trimesters, respectively. Boiled cereals and coffee contributed to nearly two‐thirds (63.2%) of the daily fiber intake, while the major bulk of daily food, enjera, contributed to less than a quarter (24.3%) of the fiber intake. Though dietary patterns favor diversified intake for fiber, the mean intake levels below the recommended levels and proportion of women getting adequate to the physiologic stages of pregnancy were inadequate compared to the standard. Mothers, in such community, could benefit from increasing overall intake of existing food to satisfy their fiber needs during pregnancy.

High-Fiber Diet during Pregnancy Characterized by More Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

“…Higher maternal dietary fiber intakes during pregnancy can assist with appropriate gestational weight gain, reduce gestational glucose intolerance and hypertensive disorders, prevent constipation, and influence microbial gut diversity [ 10 , 12 , 19 ]. However, in our pregnancy cohort ( n = 804), we found that only 29.5% of women were meeting the recommended AI for dietary fiber of 28 g/day.…”

“…Higher dietary fiber intakes can have health benefits to women during pregnancy, including lowering the risk of diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and constipation [ 10 ]. Thus, it remains a major concern that suboptimal dietary quality and low adherence to dietary guidelines have been consistently reported during pregnancy.…”

“…During pregnancy, adequate dietary fiber intakes of 28 g/day are recommended in Australia [ 8 ]. In addition to increasing gut microbiome diversity, higher dietary fiber intakes during pregnancy may also reduce excessive weight gain, glucose intolerance, gestational hypertensive disorder and constipation [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Given the increased prevalence of these adverse health conditions during pregnancy in our community, we hypothesized that many women were consuming inadequate dietary fiber intakes during pregnancy.…”

The effect of dietary fiber supplement on prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus in women with pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity: A randomized controlled trial

“…Several studies show that increasing the intake of dietary fiber during pregnancy benefits a lot of women by reducing excessive weight gain, insulin resistance, and lowering the risk of glucose intolerance ( Pretorius and Palmer, 2020 ; Jaworsky et al, 2021 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ). Fruits and vegetables, along with whole-grains, are excellent sources of dietary fiber, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved that foods high in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains have multiple health benefits for pregnant women ( Zerfu and Mekuria, 2019 ). The Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) 2013 recommends a minimum of 25 g/day of dietary fiber during pregnancy, while the average total dietary fiber intake in Chinese pregnant women (14.9 g/day) is far below the recommended daily intake ( Liu F.-L. et al, 2015 ; Liu F. L. et al, 2015 ; Bailey et al, 2019 ; Zerfu and Mekuria, 2019 ; Chen et al, 2020 ; Roskjaer et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Fruits and vegetables, along with whole-grains, are excellent sources of dietary fiber, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved that foods high in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains have multiple health benefits for pregnant women ( Zerfu and Mekuria, 2019 ). The Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) 2013 recommends a minimum of 25 g/day of dietary fiber during pregnancy, while the average total dietary fiber intake in Chinese pregnant women (14.9 g/day) is far below the recommended daily intake ( Liu F.-L. et al, 2015 ; Liu F. L. et al, 2015 ; Bailey et al, 2019 ; Zerfu and Mekuria, 2019 ; Chen et al, 2020 ; Roskjaer et al, 2021 ). It was based on the fact that a larger proportion of dietary fiber intake is essential to reduce the chance of developing metabolic complications during pregnancy.…”