Estimation of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid intakes in pregnant Japanese women without nausea by using a self-administered diet history questionnaire

Maternal fat intake in pregnancy and risk of depressive symptoms in Japanese adolescents: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

The current prebirth cohort study investigated the association between maternal intake of specific types of fatty acids during pregnancy and adolescent depressive symptoms based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Subjects were 873 mother-child pairs. Dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. The risk of depressive symptoms was 23.3% among the 873 adolescents at 13 years of age. Higher maternal saturated fatty acid intake during pregnancy was independently associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms in adolescents. Maternal intake of total fat, monounsaturated fatty acids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid and cholesterol during pregnancy was not significantly related to depressive symptoms in adolescents. Higher maternal intake of saturated fatty acids during pregnancy may be inversely associated with adolescent depressive symptoms.

Nut consumption during pregnancy is associated with decreased risk of peer problems in 5-year-old Japanese children

OBJECTIVES

Nuts are nutrient-dense foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids, protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The present prebirth cohort study examined the association between maternal nut intake during pregnancy and the risk of childhood behavioral problems in 5-year-old Japanese children.

METHODS

Study subjects were 1199 mother-child pairs. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems, and low prosocial behavior were assessed using the parent-reported version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adjustments were made for a priori-selected nondietary confounders and potentially related dietary factors.

RESULTS

Compared with mothers who had not eaten nuts during pregnancy, mothers who had eaten nuts had a significantly reduced risk of peer problems in children; the adjusted odds ratio was 0.64 (95% confidence interval: 0.42-0.97). There were no measurable associations between maternal consumption of nuts during pregnancy and the risk of childhood emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, and low prosocial behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal consumption of nuts during pregnancy may be associated with a decreased risk of peer problems in 5-year-old children.

Risk and Benefit of Decreasing Seafood Consumption in Japan-Docosahexaenoic Acid, Methylmercury and Infant IQ

National statistics show that seafood consumption in Japan is decreasing since the mid-1990s. The risks and benefits of this decreasing seafood consumption was assessed in this study. Intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and methylmercury (MeHg) of women of childbearing age were estimated by using seafood consumption data of women of age 20-39 in the period 2011-2019 and seafood DHA and MeHg content data to find significantly (p < 0.05) decreasing intake of DHA (2.8 mg/day per year) and MeHg (0.19 μg Hg/day per year) in this period. The effect of the decreasing maternal DHA and MeHg intake on infant IQ was estimated by using the equation developed by the FAO/WHO. Net IQ change (the difference in IQ gain by DHA and IQ loss by MeHg) was constant or even increasing, depending on the assumption, in this period while seafood consumption was significantly decreasing. This was due to the decreasing adverse effect of MeHg, along with saturated DHA-derived benefits on infant IQ, even at the decreased seafood consumption of Japanese women of childbearing age. It was indicated that the recent decreasing trend in seafood consumption in Japan did not have an unfavorable effect on infant IQ.

Maternal Consumption of Dairy Products during Pregnancy Is Associated with Decreased Risk of Emotional Problems in 5-Year-Olds: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Milk is a good source of fats, minerals, and vitamins. The present prebirth cohort study examined the association between maternal dairy product intake during pregnancy and the risk of childhood behavioral problems in 5-year-old Japanese children. Study subjects were 1199 mother-child pairs. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems, and low prosocial behavior were assessed using the parent-reported version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adjustments were made for a priori selected non-dietary confounders and potentially related dietary factors. A significant inverse exposure-response association was observed between maternal total dairy intake during pregnancy and the risk of childhood emotional problems (adjusted odds ratio [OR] between extreme quartiles, 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36-1.03, p for trend, 0.04). The greater maternal consumption of cow's milk, but not yogurt or cheese, during pregnancy was independently related to a reduced risk of emotional problems in children (adjusted OR between extreme quartiles, 0.41; 95% CI: 0.23-0.70, p for trend, 0.003). Higher maternal consumption levels of total dairy products, especially cow's milk, during pregnancy may be associated with a decreased risk of emotional problems in 5-year-old children.

Tryptophan intake is related to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan: baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

OBJECTIVE

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid wholly derived from diet. While the majority of tryptophan is degraded through the kynurenine pathway into neuroactive metabolites like quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid, a small proportion of ingested tryptophan is metabolized into the neurotransmitter serotonin. The current cross-sectional study in Japan examined the association between tryptophan intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

METHODS

Study subjects were 1744 pregnant women. Dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were defined as a score ≥ 16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Adjustment was made for age, gestation, region of residence, number of children, family structure, history of depression, family history of depression, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure at home and at work, employment, household income, education, body mass index, and intake of saturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and isoflavones.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy was 19.2%. After adjustment for confounding factors, higher tryptophan intake was independently inversely associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) for depressive symptoms during pregnancy in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles of tryptophan intake were 1 (reference), 0.99 (0.76-1.28), 0.94 (0.71-1.25), and 0.64 (0.44-0.93), respectively (p for trend = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher estimated tryptophan intake was cross-sectionally independently associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japanese women.

Maternal calcium intake during pregnancy and childhood blood pressure: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

PURPOSE

Evidence regarding the relationship between maternal calcium intake during pregnancy and childhood blood pressure is limited and inconsistent. The present prebirth cohort study examined this issue in Japanese children aged 6 years.

METHODS

Subjects were 854 mother-child pairs. Maternal intake during pregnancy was assessed with a validated diet history questionnaire. A research technician measured systolic and diastolic blood pressures at home in children aged 6 years using an electronic sphygmomanometer. Analysis of covariance was used to calculate adjusted means of systolic and diastolic blood pressures according to maternal calcium intake during pregnancy.

RESULTS

Maternal calcium intake during pregnancy was not related to systolic blood pressure in children. On the other hand, compared with children of mothers whose calcium intake during pregnancy was in the lowest quartile, those of mothers whose calcium intake during pregnancy was in the highest quartile had 2.8 mmHg lower adjusted mean diastolic blood pressure (95% confidence interval: 0.3-5.3 mmHg, P for trend = .009).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher maternal calcium intake during pregnancy may be associated with a decrease in diastolic, but not systolic, blood pressure in Japanese children aged 6 years.

Association of Lifestyle Changes Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic with Nutrient Intake and Physical Activity Levels during Pregnancy in Japan

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has introduced changes in our lifestyles, such as refraining from unnecessary outings. This study aimed to clarify the association of lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic with nutrient intake and physical activity levels during pregnancy in Japan. A cross-sectional study involving 168 healthy pregnant Japanese women was conducted in 2020. Nutrient intake and physical activity levels were assessed using validated self-administered questionnaires. Participants who reported experiencing changes in both dietary habits and physical activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic were classified as the lifestyle-affected group. Analysis of covariance was used. Among primiparas, intake of the following nutrients was significantly higher in the lifestyle-affected group (n = 14) than in the unaffected group (n = 77): protein, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin B₆. Among multiparas, the intake of dietary fiber and β-carotene were significantly lower in the lifestyle-affected group (n = 13) than in the unaffected group (n = 64). No significant differences in physical activity levels were observed in accordance with the lifestyle changes. These findings suggest that lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have positive effects on nutrient intake during pregnancy in primiparas, whereas in multiparas, these changes have negative effects.

Association of Dietary Fatty Acid Intake With the Development of Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicenter Case-Control Study in Japan

BACKGROUND

Dietary fatty acids can affect chronic intestinal inflammation and have been reported to be associated with the development of ulcerative colitis (UC), mainly in Europe and the United States. The association of dietary intake of fatty acids and the risk for UC was investigated in Japan, where dietary habits lead to lower meat and higher fish consumption than in Western countries.

METHODS

A multicenter case-control study of 83 newly diagnosed patients with UC and 128 age- and sex-matched control patients in the hospital was conducted from 2008 to 2014. Dietary fatty acid intake in the preceding 1 month and 1 year were examined using a self-administered diet history questionnaire that was developed for Japanese people.

RESULTS

About 92% of patients had experienced the first symptoms of UC within the preceding 11 months. Regarding dietary habits in the preceding year, the risk for UC was significantly decreased in patients who consumed n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids at a ratio of ≥5.2 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10-0.68). Conversely, an increased risk for UC was observed in the highest tertiles of consumption of docosahexaenoic acid (OR = 7.22; 95% CI, 2.09-24.95), eicosapentaenoic acid (OR = 6.91; 95% CI, 1.88-25.44), and docosapentaenoic acid (OR = 4.83; 95% CI, 1.56-14.95).

CONCLUSIONS

The ratio of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake was associated with a decreased risk for UC development. However, high intakes of docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosapentaenoic acid may increase the risk for UC development.

Maternal metal intake during pregnancy and childhood behavioral problems in Japan: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

OBJECTIVES

Lower maternal metal intake during pregnancy might affect childhood development. The current prebirth cohort study investigated the relationship between maternal intake of zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese during pregnancy and behavioral problems in Japanese children aged five years.

METHODS

Subjects were 1199 mother-child pairs. Dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional, conduct, hyperactivity, and peer problems and low prosocial behavior were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Maternal age, gestation at baseline, region of residence, number of children, maternal and paternal education, household income, maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy, maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy, maternal smoking during pregnancy, child's birth weight, child's sex, breastfeeding duration, smoking in the household during the first year of life, and some dietary confounders that were associated with outcomes under study in this population were adjusted for.

RESULTS

Compared with maternal magnesium intake during pregnancy in the first quartile, magnesium intake in the second, third, and fourth quartiles was independently inversely related to childhood hyperactivity problems, but not to emotional, conduct, or peer problems or low prosocial behavior: the adjusted odds ratio between extreme quartiles was 0.48 (95% confidence interval: 0.23-0.99, P for trend = 0.04). No evident associations were observed between maternal intake of zinc, iron, copper, or manganese during pregnancy and childhood emotional, conduct, hyperactivity, or peer problems or low prosocial behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study suggests that higher maternal magnesium intake during pregnancy is inversely associated with hyperactivity problems in Japanese children.

Dietary patterns and depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan: Baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

BACKGROUND

Only one Brazilian study has examined the association between dietary patterns and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. The current cross-sectional study examined this issue in Japan.

METHODS

Study subjects were 1744 pregnant women. Between April 2007 and March 2008, information under study was obtained. Dietary patterns were derived from a factor analysis of 33 predefined food groups based on a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were defined as a Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale score ≥ 16. Adjustment was made for age, gestation, region of residence, number of children, family structure, history of depression, family history of depression, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, employment, household income, education, and body mass index.

RESULTS

Three dietary patterns were identified: 'healthy', characterized by high intake of green and yellow vegetables, other vegetables, mushrooms, pulses, seaweed, potatoes, fish, sea products, miso soup, sugar, and shellfish; 'Japanese', characterized by high intake of rice and miso soup; and 'Western', characterized by high intake of beef and pork, processed meat, vegetable oil, chicken, eggs, shellfish, and salt-containing seasonings. The healthy and Japanese patterns were independently inversely associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals, P for trend) between extreme quartiles were 0.56 (0.43-0.73, < 0.0001) and 0.72 (0.55-0.94, 0.008), respectively. No association was observed between the Western pattern and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

LIMITATIONS

Information was obtained between the 5th and 39th week of pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

The healthy and Japanese dietary patterns may be inversely associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

Relationship between Changes in Fatty Acid Composition of the Erythrocyte Membranes and Fatty Acid Intake during Pregnancy in Pregnant Japanese Women

OBJECTIVE

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important nutrient required by pregnant women and fetuses. Several studies suggest that fatty acid composition changes during pregnancy. However, the association of longitudinal changes in erythrocyte fatty acid composition and dietary fatty acid intake during pregnancy is not well understood. We assessed the relationship between fatty acid composition of the erythrocyte membranes and fatty acid intake at each trimester in pregnant Japanese women.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective hospital-based cohort study. We investigated fatty acid composition of the erythrocyte membranes and intake of fatty acids during the three trimesters in 178 healthy, pregnant Japanese women.

RESULTS

The eicosapentaenoic acid and arachidonic acid percentage of the erythrocyte membranes significantly decreased. The percentages of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid significantly increased during pregnancy. The DHA percentage in the erythrocyte membranes decreased from the second to the third trimester. The DHA percentage in the erythrocyte membranes positively correlated with DHA intake in the third trimester.

CONCLUSION

In pregnant Japanese women, the fatty acid composition of the erythrocyte membranes markedly changed throughout pregnancy. The DHA intake in the third trimester may be insufficient to maintain DHA percentage in the maternal erythrocyte membranes.

Manganese intake is inversely associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan: Baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

BACKGROUND

One epidemiological study in Canada has addressed the association between zinc intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy while another epidemiological study in Korea has examined the association between iron intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. The present cross-sectional study in Japan examined the association between intake of zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

METHODS

Study subjects were 1745 pregnant women. Dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were defined as a score ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Adjustment was made for age, gestation, region of residence, number of children, family structure, history of depression, family history of depression, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure at home and at work, employment, household income, education, body mass index, and intake of saturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and isoflavones.

RESULTS

In crude analysis, significant inverse associations were observed between intake levels of zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese and the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. After adjustment for confounding factors, only manganese intake was independently inversely associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted prevalence ratio between extreme quartiles was 0.74 (95% confidence interval:0.56-0.97, P for trend=0.046).

LIMITATIONS

Information was obtained between the 5th and 39th week of pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

The current cross-sectional study of Japanese women demonstrated higher manganese intake to be independently associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

Availability of two self-administered diet history questionnaires for pregnant Japanese women: A validation study using 24-hour urinary markers

BACKGROUND

Accurate and easy dietary assessment methods that can be used during pregnancy are required in both epidemiological studies and clinical settings. To verify the utility of dietary assessment questionnaires in pregnancy, we examined the validity and reliability of a self-administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ) and a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ) to measure energy, protein, sodium, and potassium intake among pregnant Japanese women.

METHODS

The research was conducted at a university hospital in Tokyo, Japan, between 2010 and 2011. The urinary urea nitrogen, sodium, and potassium levels were used as reference values in the validation study. For the reliability assessment, participants completed the questionnaires twice within a 4-week interval.

RESULTS

For the DHQ (n = 115), the correlation coefficients between survey-assessed energy-adjusted intake and urinary protein, sodium, and potassium levels were 0.359, 0.341, and 0.368, respectively; for the BDHQ (n = 112), corresponding values were 0.302, 0.314, and 0.401, respectively. The DHQ-measured unadjusted protein and potassium intake levels were significantly correlated with the corresponding urinary levels (r_s = 0.307 and r_s = 0.342, respectively). The intra-class correlation coefficients for energy, protein, sodium, and potassium between the time 1 and time 2 DHQ (n = 58) and between the time 1 and time 2 BDHQ (n = 54) ranged from 0.505 to 0.796.

CONCLUSIONS

Both the DHQ and the BDHQ were valid and reliable questionnaires for assessing the energy-adjusted intake of protein, sodium, and potassium during pregnancy. In addition, given the observed validity of unadjusted protein and potassium intake measures, the DHQ can be a useful tool to estimate energy intake of pregnant Japanese women.

Breast milk DHA levels may increase after informing women: a community-based cohort study from South Dakota USA

BACKGROUND

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in breast milk, has many health benefits for both mother and baby. A 2007 meta-analysis found U.S. women had breast milk DHA levels (0.20% of total fatty acids) below the worldwide mean (0.32%). In 2008, international dietary recommendations were made for pregnant and lactating women to consume 200 mg of DHA per day. This community-based study aimed to define current milk DHA levels from upper Midwest USA lactating mothers and to determine if providing information about their own level along with dietary recommendations would incite changes to increase breast milk DHA content.

METHODS

New mothers attending lactation classes or using hospital pumping rooms in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA participated by providing one drop of breast milk on a card for fatty acid analysis at baseline and 1 month after initial reporting. DHA levels were analyzed by gas chromatography. Mothers received a report of their own breast milk level along with dietary recommendations on DHA intake for lactating women. Median baseline and follow-up DHA levels were determined and differences were compared by Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

RESULTS

At baseline, breast milk DHA content (n = 84) was highly variable (range 0.05 to 0.73%) with a median of 0.18% (IQR, 0.13, 0.28; mean ± SD, 0.22 ± 0.13%), well below the worldwide average (0.32%). Women who reported taking DHA supplements (n = 43) had higher levels than those who did not (0.23% vs. 0.15%, P < 0.0001). In a subset of 60 mothers who submitted a second sample, median breast milk DHA content increased from 0.19 to 0.22% (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that providing nursing mothers with their breast milk DHA level and education about DHA intake while breastfeeding motivates change to increase DHA levels.

Soy isoflavone intake and prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan: baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

OBJECTIVE

Several observational studies and trials examined the relationship between isoflavones or soybeans and depressive symptoms among peri- and postmenopausal women. We cross-sectionally evaluated the associations between intake of soy products and isoflavones and depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan.

METHODS

Study subjects were 1745 pregnant women. Dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were defined by a score of 16 or over in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.

RESULTS

Higher intake of total soy products, tofu, tofu products, fermented soybeans, boiled soybeans, miso soup, and isoflavones was independently related to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: The adjusted prevalence ratios (95 % confidence intervals, P for trend) between extreme quartiles were 0.63 (0.47-0.85, 0.002), 0.72 (0.54-0.96, 0.007), 0.74 (0.56-0.98, 0.04), 0.57 (0.42-0.76, <0.0001), 0.73 (0.55-0.98, 0.03), 0.65 (0.49-0.87, 0.003), and 0.63 (0.46-0.86, 0.002), respectively. A significant positive exposure-response relationship was found between miso intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. No material relationship was observed between soymilk intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study is the first to show independent inverse relationships between intake of total soy products, tofu, tofu products, fermented soybeans, boiled soybeans, miso soup, and isoflavones and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

Validity of a food frequency questionnaire to estimate long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid intake among Japanese women in early and late pregnancy

Background

The relative validity of food frequency questionnaires for estimating long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) intake among pregnant Japanese women is currently unclear. The aim of this study was to verify the external validity of a food frequency questionnaire, originally developed for non-pregnant adults, to assess the dietary intake of LC-PUFA using dietary records and serum phospholipid levels among Japanese women in early and late pregnancy.

Methods

A validation study involving 188 participants in early pregnancy and 169 participants in late pregnancy was conducted. Intake LC-PUFA was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire and evaluated using a 3-day dietary record and serum phospholipid concentrations in both early and late pregnancy.

Results

The food frequency questionnaire provided estimates of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake with higher precision than dietary records in both early and late pregnancy. Significant correlations were observed for LC-PUFA intake estimated using dietary records in both early and late pregnancy, particularly for EPA and DHA (correlation coefficients ranged from 0.34 to 0.40, p < 0.0001). Similarly, high correlations for EPA and DHA in serum phospholipid composition were also observed in both early and late pregnancy (correlation coefficients ranged 0.27 to 0.34, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the food frequency questionnaire, which was originally designed for non-pregnant adults and was evaluated in this study against dietary records and biological markers, has good validity for assessing LC-PUFA intake, especially EPA and DHA intake, among Japanese women in early and late pregnancy.

Dietary n-3 Fatty Acid, α-Tocopherol, Zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C, and β-carotene are Associated with Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Japan

This case-control study reports the association between nutrient intake and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Japan. The nutrient intake of 161 neovascular AMD cases from two university hospitals and 369 population-based control subjects from a cohort study was assessed using a brief-type self-administered questionnaire on diet history, which required respondent recall of the usual intake of 58 foods during the preceding month. Energy-adjusted nutrient intake values were compared between the groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs adjusted for smoking history, age, sex, chronic disease history, supplement use, and alcohol consumption. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that low intakes of n-3 fatty acid, α-tocopherol, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C, and β-carotene were associated with neovascular AMD (Trend P < 0.0001 for n-3 fatty acid, Trend P < 0.0001 for α-tocopherol, Trend P < 0.0001 for zinc, Trend P = 0.002 for vitamin D, Trend P = 0.04 for vitamin C, Trend P = 0.0004 for β-carotene). There was no association with retinol or cryptoxanthin intake and neovascular AMD (P = 0.67, 0.06).

Associations of dietary intake and plasma concentrations of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid with prenatal depressive symptoms in Japan

The association between depression and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid, continues to gain focus. In this study, we examined whether dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid were associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Healthy Japanese women with singleton pregnancies were recruited at a university hospital in Tokyo between 2010 and 2012. The depressive-symptom group included participants with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores greater than eight. Of the 329 participants, 19 (5.8%) had depressive symptoms. Lower plasma docosahexaenoic acid concentration was significantly associated with prenatal depressive symptoms. Women with depressive symptoms had a higher rate of pregnancy-associated nausea than those with non-depressive symptoms (52.6% vs 28.7%, respectively). Although we adjusted for the presence of pregnancy-associated nausea, dietary fatty acid intake was not associated with depressive symptoms in the multiple logistic regression analyses. Further large studies would be required to examine any preventive effect of dietary fatty acid intake on depressive symptoms among pregnant women.