Contributions of Fat and Fatty Acids Intake to the Latin American Diet: Results of ELANS Study.

Background/objectives: Fats, although essential for the proper functioning of the body, have been linked to an increased risk of developing chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake of total fat and its components (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats) in men and women aged 15 to 65 years of the urban population in eight Latin American countries.

Methods: Survey data were collected from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS, by its acronym in Spanish), an epidemiological study, including 9218 subjects from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Inadequate Intake of Choline and Essential Fatty Acids in Latin American Childbearing-Age Women as a Regional Pre-Conceptional Disadvantage: ELANS Results.

Background/objectives: Choline and essential fatty acids (EFA) are vital for fetal brain development, supporting pregnancy, and maintaining hormonal balance. They also promote overall health. The childbearing years present a window of opportunity to increase the intake of these key nutrients and develop healthy dietary habits.

Contribution of Proteins to the Latin American Diet: Results of the ELANS Study.

Dietary protein intake is vital to life. Here we sought to characterize dietary sources of protein in eight Latin American countries. Survey data were collected for Estudio Latinoamericano de Nutrición y Salud (ELANS); participants were from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela ( = 9218, 15-65 years old).

Exploring food security/insecurity determinants within Venezuela's complex humanitarian emergency.

Introduction: The complex humanitarian emergency that Venezuela has been going through for several years has deteriorated the quality of life of its citizens, deepened food insecurity in households and has promoted migratory movements of almost six million people to neighboring countries.

Objective: To analyze food security in Venezuelan households to identify the determinant factors that might contribute to the design of evidence-based public policies.

Materials And Methods: A non-probabilistic survey of national scope was used in 2,041 urban and non-urban households.

[Reference values of energy for the Venezuelan population].

The project of updating the Venezuelan energy reference values respond to the recommendations made by an FAO experts committee, several decades ago for the countries assuming this work. Because of the dramatic changes experienced globally regarding energy intake/expenditure and particularly variations on the Venezuelan nutritional scenario with the presence of "the double burden of malnutrition" it a review of Energy Reference Values (VRE) from a more integral approach is pertinent. This report follows the methodology proposed by FAO/WHO/UNU 2004 experts committee and energy reference values were established by group of age and gender, also average energy values for Venezuelan population were obtained.

Fat distribution in Venezuelan children and adolescents estimated by the conicity index and waist/hip ratio.

This study compares the conicity index (C) with the waist/hip ratio (WHR) in a cross-sectional sample of Venezuelan children (n = 784 boys and n = 735 girls), 3 to 16 years of age. Distributions of C and WHR were compared in Box-plot diagrams. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between indices by age and sex.