Challenges in clinical nutrition research in Latin America: A narrative review

Conducting high-quality clinical research requires collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts, sustained institutional leadership, and adequate financial support - resources that are unfortunately insufficient across much of Latin America. This situation is no different in the field of clinical nutrition, where both practice and research face similar structural limitations. Medical nutrition therapy is a critical therapeutic modality for many patients, particularly given the high prevalence of disease-related malnutrition (DRM), especially in hospital settings across the world. This condition significantly compromises patient outcomes and imposes a substantial financial burden on already strained healthcare systems. Despite the urgency of the issue, early identification and effective nutritional management are often hampered by the absence of cost-effective, evidence-based policies. The development and implementation of such policies depend on robust clinical research, which remains underdeveloped in the region. This narrative review examines the current landscape of clinical nutrition research and highlights key barriers to its advancement, and presents practical strategies to overcome these challenges. Furthermore, it showcases successful regional initiatives and outlines future opportunities to strengthen the field, ultimately aiming to foster meaningful progress in clinical nutrition research and practice.