Women and pregnant people are underrepresented in the studies used to draw up the nutritional guidance provided to Americans and Canadians, according to a recent paper published by George Washington University researchers.
“Our research is the first comprehensive review of the underlying research that informs nutrient reference values,” said Emily R. Smith, an assistant professor of exercise and nutrition sciences at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health and lead author of the paper. “These are used for so many things: from developing federal food programs to deciding what’s in your granola bar to determining the makeup of your prenatal vitamins. Our study points to gaps in knowledge about the exact level of micronutrients we need to eat to protect the health of women, including pregnant women.”
Dr. Smith and her colleagues reviewed all of the studies that underpin the reference values for micronutrients established in the Dietary Reference Values for the United States and Canada.
The team found that nearly one quarter of the studies included men only, and in research that did include women, female participants were underrepresented compared to men. Studies that used cutting-edge research methods were least likely to include women. Pregnant or lactating women were included in just 17% of the studies, a gap that makes it hard to provide nutritional advice to help keep mothers and babies healthy, Dr. Smith said.