Research
The effect of a controlled manipulation of maternal dietary fat intake on medium and long chain fatty acids in human breast milk in Saskatoon, Canada
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* Corresponding author: Roseann Nasser Roseann.Nasser@rqhealth.ca
- † Equal contributors
1 University of Saskatchewan, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
2 Alberta Institute for Human Nutrition, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
3 MRC Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge, UK
4 Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, Saskatchewan, Canada
International Breastfeeding Journal 2010, 5:3 doi:10.1186/1746-4358-5-3
Published: 19 February 2010Abstract
Background
Few studies in recent years have demonstrated the effect of maternal diet on fatty acid composition of human milk.
Methods
Fourteen free-living lactating women participated in a cross-over dietary intervention study, consuming a low fat diet (17.6% of energy as fat, 14.4% of energy as protein, 68.0% of energy as carbohydrate) and a high fat diet (40.3% of energy as fat, 14.4% of energy as protein, 45.3% of energy as carbohydrate) each for periods of 4 days, in randomised order. Each mother was her own control. Mature milk samples were collected during each period and analysed for medium and long chain fatty acids.
Results
The concentration of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), was 13.6% in breast milk for the low fat diet compared to 11.4% for the high fat (p < 0.05). Arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6) levels were significantly higher in breast milk when women consumed the low fat diet. Increased dietary intake of stearic acid (C18:0) and alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) on the high fat diet significantly increased proportions of these fatty acids in breast milk (p < 0.05) in 4 days.
Conclusions
Changing maternal dietary fat intake has a rapid response in terms of changes to fatty acids in breast milk.