Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is inversely related to development of adiposity in school-age children

作者：Perng W^*; Villamor E; Mora Plazas M; Marin C; Baylin A

来源：European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2015, 69(2): 167-172.

DOI：10.1038/ejcn.2014.210

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Studies in adults indicate that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition may play a role in development of adiposity. Because adipocyte quantity is established between late childhood and early adolescence, understanding the impact of PUFAs on weight gain during the school-age years is crucial to developing effective interventions.
SUBJECTS/METHODS: We quantified N-3 and N-6 PUFAs in serum samples of 668 Colombian schoolchildren aged 5-12 years at the time of recruitment into a cohort study, using gas-liquid chromatography. Serum concentrations of N-3 (alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid) and N-6 PUFAs (linoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid) were determined as percentage total fatty acids. Children's anthropometry was measured annually for a median of 30 months. We used mixed-effects models with restricted cubic splines to construct population body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ) growth curves for age- and sex-specific quartiles of each PUFA.
RESULTS: N-3 ALA was inversely related to BAZ gain after adjustment for sex, baseline age and weight status, as well as household socioeconomic level. Estimated BAZ change between 6 and 14 years among children in the highest quartile of ALA compared with those in the lowest quartile was 0.45 (95% confidence interval: 0.07, 0.83) lower (P-trend = 0.006).
CONCLUSIONS: N-3 ALA may be protective against weight gain in school-age children. Whether improvement in PUFA status reduces adiposity in pediatric populations deserves evaluation in randomized trials.

• 出版日期2015-2