Determinants of maternal and infant omega-3 status at 3 months postpartum: findings from the APrON longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Omega-3 long-chain-polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) are important dietary components for maternal and infant health during pregnancy and lactation.

Objectives: This study investigated determinants of maternal and infant LCPUFAs status at 3 mo postpartum and the relationship between maternal serum, maternal milk, and infant LCPUFAs.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included mothers (n = 1481) and their offspring (n = 526) at 3 mo postpartum from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) cohort.

Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI influences the associations between bisphenol and phthalate exposures and maternal weight changes and fat accumulation.

Background: Bisphenols and phthalates are two classes of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) thought to influence weight and adiposity. Limited research has investigated their influence on maternal weight changes, and no prior work has examined maternal fat mass. We examined the associations between exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy and multiple maternal weight and fat mass outcomes.

Maternal Pre-Pregnancy BMI and Gestational Weight Gain Are Associated with Preschool Children's Neuropsychological Outcomes in the APrON Cohort.

This study examined the associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain (GWG) and children's neuropsychological outcomes at 3 to 5 years of age. A total of 379 women and their children from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study participated. Covariate-adjusted robust regressions examined associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG class, interaction terms, and child outcomes.

Dietary Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes in South Asian Populations-A Systematic Review.

Purpose: South Asians face a high burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We systematically summarized current research on the efficacy, cultural relevance, and research gaps of nutrition interventions that could be used for treatment in this population.

Findings: We identified 18 articles published since 2010.

A Mixed Methods Evaluation of a Randomized Control Trial to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Pure Prairie Living Program in Type 2 Diabetes Participants.

The primary objective of this randomized control trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Pure Prairie Living Program (PPLP) in a primary care setting. Adults with type 2 diabetes were randomized into intervention (PPLP, = 25) and wait-listed controls (CON, = 24). The PPLP group participated in education sessions.

Barriers and Mitigating Strategies to Healthcare Access in Indigenous Communities of Canada: A Narrative Review.

The objective of this review is to document contemporary barriers to accessing healthcare faced by Indigenous people of Canada and approaches taken to mitigate these concerns. A narrative review of the literature was conducted. Barriers to healthcare access and mitigating strategies were aligned into three categories: proximal, intermediate, and distal barriers.

Association of pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain with fat mass distribution and accretion during pregnancy and early postpartum: a prospective study of Albertan women.

Objectives: To examine the patterns of fat mass gain in pregnancy and fat loss in the early postpartum period relative to women's pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and by adherence to Institute of Medicine's gestational weight gain (GWG) recommendations.

Design: Prospective cohort study with three to four study visits.

Setting: This study is a part of the prospective longitudinal birth cohort, 'The Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition Study' (APrON) that recruited pregnant women from the cities of Edmonton and Calgary in Alberta.

Diet quality and risk factors for cardiovascular disease among South Asians in Alberta.

South Asians have a higher prevalence of early onset cardiovascular disease risk compared with other populations. Dietary intake is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Dietary patterns in immigrants and successive generations of South Asians settled in Western countries undergo adaptions.

Dietary Patterns and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in People with Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose Of Review: The primary objective of this review is to identify dietary patterns with beneficial effects on cardiovascular health of adults with type 2 diabetes.

Recent Findings: The prevalence of diabetes is increasing globally. People with diabetes have a greater risk for cardiovascular disease.

The impact of low and no-caloric sweeteners on glucose absorption, incretin secretion, and glucose tolerance.

The consumption of non-nutritive, low, or no-calorie sweeteners (LCS) is increasing globally. Previously thought to be physiologically inert, there is a growing body of evidence that LCS not only provide a sweet taste but may also elicit metabolic effects in the gastrointestinal tract. This review provides a brief overview of the chemical and receptor-binding properties and effects on chemosensation of different LCS but focuses on the extent to which LCS stimulates glucose transport, incretin and insulin secretion, and effects on glucose tolerance.

Higher Pre-pregnancy BMI and Excessive Gestational Weight Gain are Risk Factors for Rapid Weight Gain in Infants.

Objective To describe the effects of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) on infant anthropometrics at birth and 3 months and infant growth rates between birth and 3 months. Methods Body weight prior to and during pregnancy and infant weight and length at birth and 3 months were collected from 600 mother-infant pairs. Adherence to GWG was based on IOM recommendations.

Review of Dietary Practices of the 21st Century: Facts and Fallacies.

The prevalence of chronic metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, is increasing around the world. Nutritional interventions can reduce the prevalence and provide effective treatment, even when weight loss is not dramatic. The 2013 Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines concluded that certain dietary patterns and popular weight-loss diets had sufficient evidence to suggest their use by individuals with diabetes, but many other diet patterns and diets exist.

Women who take n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements during pregnancy and lactation meet the recommended intake.

The aim of the current study was to estimate total intake and dietary sources of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentanoic (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and compare DHA intakes with the recommended intakes in a cohort of pregnant and lactating women. Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls and supplement intake questionnaires were collected from 600 women in the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) cohort at each trimester of pregnancy and 3 months postpartum. Dietary intake was estimated in 2 ways: by using a commercial software program and by using a database created for APrON.

Estimation of choline intake from 24 h dietary intake recalls and contribution of egg and milk consumption to intake among pregnant and lactating women in Alberta.

Despite recommendations for higher choline intakes during pregnancy and lactation, there is limited research regarding maternal intake during these important periods. In the present study, we estimated dietary choline intake during pregnancy and lactation in a population of Albertan women and the contribution of egg and milk consumption to intake. Dietary intake data were collected from the first 600 women enrolled in a prospective cohort study carried out in Alberta, Canada.