Ultra-Processed Food Consumption during Pregnancy and Its Association with Maternal Oxidative Stress Markers

Abstract

Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption during gestation may lead to increased oxidative stress (OS) and could affect pregnancy outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the association of UPF consumption during pregnancy with circulating levels of OS markers. Diet was assessed (average of three assessments) in 119 pregnant women enrolled in the OBESO perinatal cohort (Mexico), obtaining quantitative data and the percentage of energy that UPFs (NOVA) contributed to the total diet. Sociodemographic, clinical (pregestational body-mass index and gestational weight gain) and lifestyle data were collected. Maternal circulating levels of OS markers (malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonylation (PC), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC)) were determined at the third trimester of pregnancy. Adjusted linear regression models were performed to analyze the association between UPFs and OS markers. UPFs represented 27.99% of the total energy intake. Women with a lower UPF consumption (<75 percentile°) presented a higher intake of fiber, ω-3, ω-6, and a lower ω-6/3 ratio. Linear regression models showed that UPFs were inversely associated with TAC and MDA. Fiber intake was associated with PC. UPF intake during pregnancy may result in an increase in oxidative stress. When providing nutrition care, limiting or avoiding UPFs may be an intervention strategy that could promote a better antioxidant capacity in the body.

Greater Ultra-Processed Food Intake during Pregnancy and Postpartum Is Associated with Multiple Aspects of Lower Diet Quality

“…Given the critical role of nutrition during pregnancy and postpartum for maternal and child health [ 3 ] and emerging evidence that ultra-processed food is associated with adverse pregnancy and infant outcomes [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ], findings from this study suggest that dietary guidance to reduce ultra-processed food intake may represent a singular intervention target with broad impact on adherence to dietary guidelines. Considering health care provider concerns that time constraints limit their ability to provide nutritional guidance during routine pregnancy visits [ 46 ], brief messages with broad-ranging impact may be especially valuable.…”

The Effect of Dietary Patterns and Nutrient Intake on Oxidative Stress Levels in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review

“…The publication dates range from 2001 to 2022. The majority of the studies used a cohort study design (69%) [13,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25], while 23% employed a cross-sectional design [26][27][28], and only one study had a case-control design [4]. The study sample sizes ranged from 33 to 1158, totaling 5088 healthy women included in this systematic review, aged between 19 and 40 years.…”

“…The study sample sizes ranged from 33 to 1158, totaling 5088 healthy women included in this systematic review, aged between 19 and 40 years. Only five articles (38%) reported the detailed educational distribution of the participants [13,18,19,22,24]. Among them, 84% achieved a middle/high education level.…”

“…A variety of analytical techniques has been used for the detection of OS biomarkers: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (46%), colorimetric assays (31%), and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) (31%). Other techniques include Mass Spectrometry, CUPric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC) and dinitropenylhydrazine (DNPH) (respectively [19,22]). The two most investigated biomarkers in relation to diet were malondialdehyde (MDA) (46%) and the DNA oxidation product, namely 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) (31%).…”

“…As per the 24 h recall method, Kim et al [18] used a single recall, while all the other studies utilized three recalls [4,[19][20][21]. The majority of the questionnaires have been administered during each trimester [4,[19][20][21]25], three studies took into consideration the second trimester [13,22,26], and two studies referred to the third trimester [23,25,27]. Three studies did not specify the reference period of the questionnaire [26,28].…”