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A study by the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) has found that breastfeeding women in Hong Kong are eating lower amounts of fruit and vegetables than recommended by the Department of Health, although the intake has increased significantly over the past 10 years.

From mid-2022 to mid-2024, a RiFood research team collected the dietary records of more than 80 lactating women and measured their weight and blood lipid levels. The study found that, compared with a similar survey in 2014, the intake of vegetables, dietary fibre and vitamin A had increased by 34%, 19% and over 20%, respectively, but the figures were still 22–103% below the level recommended by the Department of Health. Only 10% of the breastfeeding women surveyed met the recommendations for two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day.

The study also found that the fat, saturated fat and sugar intakes of more than half of the breastfeeding women were higher than the intake levels recommended by the Department of Health, and about half of the respondents had a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) level and body mass index (BMI) that were above the normal values. Thus, the women were at increased risk of developing other diseases in the long run. Breastfeeding women are advised to pay attention to balanced nutrition during the postpartum confinement period.

Dr Kenneth LO Ka-hei, Member of RiFood and Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, has recommended that postpartum mothers eat more vegetables and fruit to increase their absorption of a variety of vitamins and minerals, in addition to taking supplements that replenish protein and iron during postpartum confinement. Furthermore, poor maternal cardiovascular health in pregnancy may increase children’s likelihood of developing obesity. Breastfeeding mothers are encouraged to consume different types of vegetables and fruit, such as apples, papayas and red grapes, to ensure balanced nutrition.

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