TITLE:
Prevention of Maternal Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation: The Diet’s Inflammatory Potential in Pregnant Women in Southern Benin
AUTHORS:
Charles Sossa Jerome, Lamidhi Salami, Farida Seydou, Clemence Metonnou, Colette Azandjeme, Moussiliou N. Paraiso
KEYWORDS:
Diet, Inflammatory Index, Pregnancy, Benin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Preventive Medicine,
Vol.13 No.9,
September
29,
2023
ABSTRACT: Background: Pathogenic mechanisms link maternal systemic low-grade chronic inflammation to intrauterine development. A pro-inflammatory diet during pregnancy is associated with chronic maternal systemic inflammation. The objective of the study was to determine the diet inflammatory index and identify associated foods and nutrients in pregnant women of Ouidah city, Benin. Methods: The cross-sectional study conducted among pregnant women randomly selected by cluster sampling. Nutrient intakes and food consumed were estimated based on data of two 24-hour non-consecutive recalls. The inflammatory weightings of each nutrient were used to calculate the diet inflammatory index for each pregnant woman. Results: The average age of the 310 pregnant women surveyed was 27.20 ± 5.99 years. The median diet inflammatory index was -3.026 (-16.59; 1.86). The pregnant women with inflammatory diet accounted for 11.30%. Vitamin A and zinc were negatively correlated with the diet inflammatory index. Fruits, roots, tubers and sweetened drinks consumed were positively correlated with the diet inflammatory index. On the contrary, the quantities of cereals, vegetables, legums and fish consumed were negatively correlated with the diet inflammatory index. Conclusion: More than one pregnant woman out of ten in the Ouidah city had a pro-inflammatory diet. Reducing maternal systemic low-grade chronic inflammation may include increasing the consumption of identified anti-inflammatory foods.