Do Extra Calories and Protein Help Underweight Pregnant Women in India?
Energy and Protein Supplementation Does Not Affect Protein and Amino Acid Kinetics or Pregnancy Outcomes in Underweight Indian Women.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Researchers tested whether giving underweight pregnant women extra daily calories and protein improves their pregnancy results and body metabolism. They compared women who got the supplements to those who did not.
Surprising Findings
Routine daily supplementation from week 12 did not improve pregnancy outcomes or alter maternal protein metabolism.
The background states low-BMI Indian women struggle to provide adequate energy/protein and cannot increase methylation rates as pregnancy progresses, leading to the expectation that supplementation would help. The results directly contradict this premise.
Practical Takeaways
Underweight pregnant women may not need routine daily calorie and protein supplements beyond a balanced diet, as the body's natural metabolic adaptations appear sufficient to support fetal growth.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Researchers tested whether giving underweight pregnant women extra daily calories and protein improves their pregnancy results and body metabolism. They compared women who got the supplements to those who did not.
Surprising Findings
Routine daily supplementation from week 12 did not improve pregnancy outcomes or alter maternal protein metabolism.
The background states low-BMI Indian women struggle to provide adequate energy/protein and cannot increase methylation rates as pregnancy progresses, leading to the expectation that supplementation would help. The results directly contradict this premise.
Practical Takeaways
Underweight pregnant women may not need routine daily calorie and protein supplements beyond a balanced diet, as the body's natural metabolic adaptations appear sufficient to support fetal growth.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutrition
Year
2016
Authors
P. Dwarkanath, Jean W. Hsu, Grace J. Tang, P. Anand, T. Thomas, Annamma Thomas, C. Sheela, A. Kurpad, F. Jahoor
Related Content
Claims (4)
Giving pregnant women extra protein and calories early in their pregnancy helps lower the chances of having a baby with serious health risks.
Giving underweight pregnant women in India extra calories and protein every day doesn't actually help them have healthier babies or longer pregnancies. It seems their bodies already handle their nutrition well enough on their own, so extra supplements aren't needed.
Giving underweight pregnant women extra calories and protein every day doesn't really change how their bodies process protein or amino acids, except for a tiny drop in some fasting measurements. This suggests that these women don't actually need extra protein supplements to keep their metabolism working normally during pregnancy.
Giving extra calories and protein to underweight pregnant women doesn't change how their bodies process key nutrients or affect baby growth. This suggests the supplements don't actually boost the essential building blocks needed for DNA and protein, which may explain why the baby's size stays the same.