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PubMed2002

Association of changes in the pattern of urinary calculi in Taiwanese with diet habit change between 1956 and 1999.

OBJECTIVE: Due to rapid economic development over the past four decades, urinary stone components may have changed in Taiwan. We studied the changes in urinary stone components over time and the possible association with dietary changes during the same period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1956 to 1999, 9,715 urinary calculi were collected at a single institution and analyzed using polarizing microscopy. Dietary information was obtained from an official national report. Linear regression was used to analyze the possible correlation between the change in stone components with daily consumption of animal protein, vegetable protein, and lipid. RESULTS: Eleven distinct components were identified. Calcium oxalate (Jensen type I stone; found in sterile, acidic urine) was found most frequently (87.3%), and its incidence increased gradually with time. However, the incidence of Jensen type III stone (caused by metabolic abnormality) gradually decreased from 1956 to 1999. The male to female ratio among subjects was 2.3:1, and the modal age was in the forties. Female patients were more likely to suffer from type II stones (found in infected, alkaline urine), whereas type I and III stones were more prevalent in males. Among the dietary components, consumption of animal and vegetable proteins and lipid increased significantly during the same period, and appeared to be coincident with the increased incidence of type I stones during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of urinary tract stones in Taiwan have progressively changed in the past four decades and are now similar to those in western populations. The incidence of type I stones has increased during the past four decades, which may reflect the Westernization of dietary habits in Taiwanese during the same period.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The validity of a short food frequency questionnaire and its ability to measure changes in food intake: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: In studies of health behaviour exploring factors associated with differences and changes in eating patterns of populations, diet is often measured with short food frequency questionnaires (FFQ). This study examines the validity of a short FFQ by comparing frequencies of food intake from the FFQ to information on food intake obtained by a diet history interview. METHODS: Food intake was measured at two separate occasions in the same 329 individuals, first in 1987-1988 and 6 years later in 1993-1994. RESULTS: In 1987-1988 the Spearman correlation coefficients were around r = 0.50 for most foods, with white and dark ryebread and light bread as extremes on the one hand (r = 0.10, r = 0.23 and r = 0.27, respectively) and coarse bread, fruit and cakes as extremes on the other (r = 0.61, r = 0.60, r = 0.60, respectively). In general, the correlations were higher at the second data collection in 1993-1994. At both data collections, the mean food intake from the diet history interview increased with increasing frequency category, indicating that the questionnaire was able to identify levels of food intake correctly. In general, when individual changes in food intake were assessed during the study period, those who reported a less frequent intake by the FFQ in 1993-1994 compared with 1987-1988 also had a lower mean daily intake according to the diet history information. CONCLUSION: The short FFQ can quantify food intakes and, is also responsive to changes in food intake over time. Thus the short FFQ can be used to monitor changes in food patterns at a group level.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Calf milk replacers as substitutes for milk in the larval diet of the screwworm (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

The effect of calf milk replacers as substitutes for nonfat dry milk in the larval diet of the screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), was determined in the laboratory. Pupal weight and fecundity of females were significantly greater than the control with some of the formulations tested. Larval crawl-off patterns for all diets were similar. Pupal weights were significantly affected only on day 1 of the 4-d crawl-off period. Among the formulations of calf milk replacer, Gold Label brand products showed the most promise as substitutes for the nonfat dry milk presently used in the screwworm production facility. Use of calf milk replacers would lead to a yearly savings of 39.3% in the cost of the dietary milk component. At a production level of 250 million flies weekly, this substitution would save approximately $338,000 dollars yearly.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Dietary habits of 2 populations of the province of Barcelona (III): energy consumption and macronutrients].

BACKGROUND: The identification of an association between alimentary and nutritional factors and different diseases has led to the study of alimentary habits in different populations. The consumption of energy and macronutrients was analyzed in two urban populations in the province of Barcelona (Spain). METHODS: One thousand thirty-four randomly selected individuals from primary care centers (PCC) were studied by a systematic sampling of all the out patient consultations over one year and to those to whom a semiquantitative questionnaire of frequency foodstuffs was given to estimate their normal diet. The subjects included all those residents in the two towns studied from 13 to 80 years of age who attended the PCC during the study period. RESULTS: The percentage of subjects from Vilanova i la Geltrú who were found to be high consumers of milk and derivatives, fish and vegetables was significantly higher in comparison with subjects from Gavá. The males of both towns presented a higher mean consumption of carbohydrates and energy than the females. On comparison of the consumption between the 2 populations, the mean carbohydrate diet ingested was significantly greater in the population from Gavá in both sexes as was the consumption of energy and total lipids between women and men, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The population studied presented a clear pattern of Mediterranean diet consumption with elevated ingestion of carbohydrates and monounsaturated fats.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

The equine metabolic syndrome peripheral Cushing's syndrome.

Certain management practices tend to promote the development of obesity (metabolic syndrome) in mature horses as they enter their teenage years. These management practices include the provision of starch-rich (high glycemic index) and fat-supplemented rations to healthy horses that are relatively inactive. Some horse breeds and ponies appear to be genetically predisposed to metabolic syndrome. The accretion of intra-abdominal adiposity by equids is associated with the development of insulin insensitivity (hyperinsulinemia), glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and insidious-onset laminitis. Omental adipocytes are metabolically active, secreting free fatty acids and hormonally active mediators including cortisol, leptin, and resistin that might contribute to persistence and worsening of insulin refractoriness and the obese phenotype. We have hypothesized that obesity-associated laminitis arises as a consequence of vascular changes and a hypercoagulable state, similar to the development of atherosclerosis in human type 2 diabetes. Several molecular mechanisms that might serve to explain the development of insulin insensitivity as a result of excessive adiposity have been incriminated. Little investigation into the relationship between obesity, insulin insensitivity, and laminitis in horses has been reported to date. Insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance can be improved by dietary restriction and exercise aimed at reversing omental obesity. Management practices that promote the development of obesity are likely initiated during the first 10 years of the horse's life. Veterinarians and horse owners must recognize that mature-onset obesity in adult horses is associated with a risk for development of laminitis. Obesity and insulin insensitivity might be prevented if horse owners can be educated to feed rations with a relatively lower glycemic index to inactive horses. Investigative research pertaining to the development of antiobesity drugs for human patients is continuing. Greater than 30 new pharmaceuticals are in various stages of research. However, it will likely take many years before any of these drugs are shown to be useful and safe in horses. Lifestyle changes in the form of diet and exercise patterns are still the crux of therapy for both human and equine patients.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Simultaneous caries induction and calculus formation in rats.

Weanling specific pathogen-free Osborne-Mendel rats were fed a high-calcium, high-phosphorus diet with various levels of sucrose and inoculated with Streptococcus sobrinus strain 6715-13WT and Actinomyces viscosus strain OMZ-105 in order to determine whether calculus and caries could develop simultaneously. Rats consumed diets designated RC-16-5, RC-16-25, or RC-16-50 which partially replaced the corn starch component with progressively higher levels of sucrose, thus, to 5, 25, or 50% sucrose. In general, bacterial recoveries of A. viscosus declined with higher sucrose content of the diet, but a pattern of recovery for S. sobrinus was less clear with respect to dietary sucrose. S. sobrinus, however, was recovered at higher percentages from the tooth surface flora at the later two of three sampling dates. Most calculus--identified by the brittle quality, staining characteristics, and apatitic x-ray diffraction patterns of tooth surface deposits--was formed on the maxillary molars, and most carious lesions occurred on mandibular molars. While there was minimal association of the calculus score with the amount of sucrose in the diet, calculus scores increased greatly from 23 to 43 days after infectious challenge. Caries scores, of both fissure and smooth surfaces, by contrast, increased in a dose-response fashion with increasing dietary sucrose and with time. It is thus possible to induce calculus formation and caries simultaneously in specific pathogen-free Osborne-Mendel rats consuming a high-calcium and -phosphorus diet conducive to calculus formation and containing sucrose.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Actinomyces viscosus↗
PubMed1980

Comparison of unmeasured versus exchange diabetic diets in lean adults. Body weight and feeding patterns in a 2-year prospective pilot study.

Thirty insulin-treated adult diabetic outpatients, within normal weight for at least 5 years, were instructed either on an unmeasured diet with the single restriction of simple sugars, or on a weight maintenance, caloric defined, exchange type American Diabetes Association diet. During the next 2 years, both groups reported similar caloric intakes, food composition, and distribution, which were remarkably close to the calculated ideals. Both groups kept body weights within normal limits. There was no difference in insulin doses or serum cholesterol. Fasting glycemia was higher, triglycerides lower, and hypoglycemic reactions less frequent in the group on the unmeasured diet. These differences were not significant. It is suggested that normal weight diabetics spontaneously regulate their intake to maintain a constant weight regardless of precise degree of glycemia control or insulin dosage.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1998

Effects of soya milk and Bifidobacterium-fermented soya milk on plasma and liver lipids, and faecal steroids in hamsters fed on a cholesterol-free or cholesterol-enriched diet.

The effects of freeze-dried soya milk (SM) and Bifidobacterium-fermented soya milk (FSM) on plasma and liver lipids, and faecal steroid excretion were estimated in hamsters fed on a cholesterol-free or cholesterol-enriched diet. Hamsters fed on the cholesterol-free diet containing 300 g FSM/kg had lower levels of plasma VLDL + LDL cholesterol than the animals fed on the control diet. SM in the diet produced a similar pattern without significant differences. In the cholesterol-enriched diet group, SM and FSM decreased the levels of plasma total cholesterol and VLDL + LDL-cholesterol. SM and FSM decreased the plasma triacylglycerol level in both the cholesterol-free and -enriched diet groups. The liver total cholesterol contents in the SM and FSM groups were lower than that in the control group, for hamsters fed on the cholesterol-free diet. The liver triacylglycerol content was not modified by SM or FSM in hamsters fed on either the cholesterol-free or -enriched diet. SM and FSM increased the total bile acid excretion and the proportion of cholesterol entering the cholic acid biosynthesis pathway in both the cholesterol-free and -enriched diet groups. SM and FSM did not affect neutral steroid excretion in the cholesterol-free or -enriched diet group. There was an inverse relationship between VLDL + LDL-cholesterol and faecal bile acid excretion in hamsters fed on the cholesterol-free (r -0.670, P < 0.01) and cholesterol-enriched (r -0.761, P < 0.001) diets respectively. These results indicated that SM had an anti-atherogenic effect, and that this effect was not diminished by prior fermentation.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1983

Intestinal lymph lipoproteins in rats fed diets enriched in specific fatty acids.

Four groups of rats were fed test diets with fats providing 75% of fatty acids as palmitate, stearate, oleate or linoleate. Absorption of radiolabeled cholesterol and the specific triglyceride into intestinal lymph lipoproteins and the lipid and protein content and composition of intestinal lymph were compared. Cholesterol and triglyceride absorptions were correlated significantly and were less with the saturated fatty acid diets. The fatty acid patterns of triglyceride-rich lymph lipoproteins mirrored the diet. Exogenous cholesterol was recovered primarily in chylomicrons, except with linoleate. In contrast, radiolabeled saturated fatty acids were recovered primarily in very low density lipoproteins and unsaturated fatty acids were recovered in chylomicrons. Lymph chylomicron size and lipid content were greater with unsaturated fat diets. Triglyceride-rich intestinal lipoproteins of rats fed saturated fats were polygonal by electron microscopy, related to the cooling of lymph samples below body temperature. A-I apolipoproteins were increased in relation to C apoproteins as lipid absorption was greater. Plasma triglycerides in all groups increased compared to rats fed the stock diet. A diet enriched in one specific fatty acid has its unique effects on lymph lipoprotein formation presumably affecting some intestinal subcellular mechanisms. Diet-induced changes in plasma lipids and lipoproteins are not directly related to these as yet unknown mechanisms.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Dietary protein modifies hepatic gene expression associated with oxidative stress responsiveness in growing pigs.

Understanding the basis for differences in nutrient requirements and for nutrient effects on health and performance requires an appreciation of the links between nutrition and gene expression. We developed and applied molecular probes to characterize diet-associated postabsorptive hepatic gene expression in growing pigs chronically fed protein-restricted diets based on either casein (CAS) or soy protein isolate (SPI). Eighty-eight expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were identified on the basis of diet-related changes in expression, by using an mRNA differential display method. Expression profiling based on transcription analysis by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction showed that the SPI diet significantly changed the pattern of gene expression as compared with the CAS diet and allowed identification of coregulated genes. The expression of six genes involved in the metabolism of stress response (glutathione S-transferase, peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase, apolipoprotein A-I, organic anion transport polypeptide 2, calnexin, heat shock transcription factor 1) exhibited significant changes in the transcription level and indicated an increased oxidative stress response in pigs fed the SPI diet. Hierarchical clustering of gene expression data of all 33 ESTs analyzed across 14 pigs fed the two different diets resulted in clustering of genes related to the oxidative stress response with genes related to the regulation of gene expression and neuronal signaling.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Diet and survival of elderly Greeks: a link to the past.

In 1988 and 1989, we investigated in three Greek villages the dietary patterns of 182 men and women aged > 70 y by using a validated semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire and compared these dietary patterns with the traditional Greek diet as ascertained in the late 1950s by Keys and his colleagues. As in the traditional diet, olive oil dominated fat intake, total fat exceeded 35% of total energy intake, average daily consumption of fruits and vegetables exceeded 500 g, and average ethanol intake for men corresponded to two to three glasses of wine per day. In contrast, consumption of meat and meat products has substantially increased and intake of bread and other cereals has apparently declined. We observed no differences between the two periods with respect to consumption of legumes, eggs and egg products, and sugar confectionery. We have also attempted to assess whether a gradient of adherence to the traditional Greek diet can be identified in the diets of the study subjects, and whether it can subsequently predict total mortality. During a follow-up period of approximately 5 y, 53 deaths were observed. The risk of death was apparently higher among the minority of study subjects whose diet deviated substantially from the traditional Greek pattern, compared with the majority whose diet adhered closely to the traditional pattern.

Aged↗
PubMed1978

Dietary studies and the relationship of diet to cardiovascular disease risk factor variables in 10-year-old children--The Bogalusa Heart Study.

A dietary study of 10-year-old children was incorporated into a larger epidemiological survey investigating the distributions, interrelationships, and course-over-time of arteriosclerosis risk factor variables in children. Food intakes, eating patterns, and diet-risk factor interrelationships are described for 185 children (35% black, 65% white) using an improved 24-hr dietary recall method. Protein intakes were high. The polyunsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio averaged 0.4 and a sucrose-to-starch proportion of 1.1 was noted. Eggs were the main food source of cholesterol and milk was the prime source of saturated fatty acids and protein. Black girls had a significantly greater mean sodium intake than the three other sex-race groups. Intermittent snacks provided the most calories; breakfast and dinner contributed most of the day's cholesterol, and lunch was the prime source of lactose and calcium. Longer eating spans reflected significantly greater intakes of calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate, and sodium, and greater levels of total serum cholesterol. A lack of correlations was noted in large matrices of dietary components and risk factor variables, but results of the comparison of mean intakes of dietary components for children grouped according to serum cholesterol showed significant differences in the intakes of various forms of fat and carbohydrate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Effect of feeding protein supplements of differing degradability on omasal flow of microbial and undegraded protein.

Ten ruminally cannulated lactating Holstein cows that were part of a larger trial studying the effects of feeding different proteins on milk production were used in a replicated 5 x 5 Latin square to quantify flows of microbial and rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) in omasal digesta. Cows were fed total mixed rations containing (dry matter basis) 44% corn silage, 22% alfalfa silage, 2% urea, and 31% concentrate. The basal diet contained 31% high-moisture corn; equal N from one of four protein supplements was added to the other diets at the expense of corn: 9% solvent soybean meal (SSBM), 10% expeller soybean meal (ESBM), 5.5% blood meal (BM), and 7% corn gluten meal (CGM). Omasal sampling was used to quantify total AA N (TAAN) and nonammonia N (NAN) flows from the rumen. Estimates of RUP were made from differences between total and microbial N flows, including a correction for RUP in the basal diet. Modifying a spectrophotometric assay improved total purine recovery from isolated bacteria and omasal samples and gave estimates of microbial TAAN and NAN flows that were similar to a standard HPLC method. Linear programming, based on AA patterns of the diet and isolated omasal bacteria and ruminal protozoa, appeared to overestimate microbial TAAN and NAN flows compared to the purine assays. Yields of microbial TAAN and NAN determined using any method was not affected by diet and averaged 32 to 35 g NAN per kilogram of organic matter truly digested in the rumen. On average, National Research Council (NRC) equations underpredicted microbial N flows by 152 g/d (vs. HPLC), 168 g/d (vs. spectrophotometry), and 244 g/d (vs. linear programming). Estimates of RUP (means from the HPLC and spectrophotometric methods) were: SSBM, 27%, ESBM, 45%, BM, 60%, and CGM, 73%. Except for CGM, RUP values averaged about 20 percentage units lower than those reported by the NRC.

Amino Acids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of 2 different reducing diets on the concentration of HDL cholesterol in obese adolescents].

Serum lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins and fatty acid composition of the major serum lipid classes were determined in fifteen obese adolescents (9 girls and 6 boys, mean age 12.5 +/- 1.2 years, mean overweight 55 +/- 21%) undergoing two weight reduction regimens, differing in fatty acid pattern. The two diets were equal as regards to total energy (approx. 1200 kcal/5100 KJ), protein and carbohydrate content, but differed in the P/S ratio (Diet A: 0.36 +/- 0.19, Diet B, 0.82 +/- 0.44). After eight weeks of treatment with Diet A the patients were switched over to the Diet B. Weight loss during the eight weeks was similar (Diet A: 9.8 +/- 2.1%, Diet B: 7.5 +/- 1.3% reduction of overweight). Diet A resulted in a slight reduction of total and LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, Apo AI, AII, and B concentrations. HDL-C levels fell significantly from 51 +/- 17 mg/dl to 43 +/- 15 mg/dl (p less than 0.01). Linoleic acid concentrations declined in all major serum lipid classes, in particular in triglycerides and phospholipids (p less than 0.001), whereas arachidonic acid increased in phospholipids (p less than 0.001). After the Diet B a further decline of total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglycerides and Apo B concentrations could be observed, however, HDL-C levels returned to pre-treatment levels (50 +/- 10 mg/dl). Linoleic acid concentrations and arachidonic acid values returned to baseline values. We conclude from this study that in obese adolescents a hypocaloric diet enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids is associated with a reduction of total-, LDL-C and Apo B concentrations, but with no major changes of HDL-C levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Angiotensinogen genotype and blood pressure response in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between angiotensinogen (ANG) genotype and blood pressure response to the dietary patterns of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial. The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene was also tested. DESIGN: The DASH trial was a randomized outpatient feeding study comparing the effects on blood pressure (BP) of three dietary patterns: a control diet, similar to typical American intake; a 'fruits and vegetables' diet (F/V) that is rich in fruits and vegetables but otherwise resembles the control diet; and the DASH diet that is reduced in fats and that emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Participants' genotype was also determined. SETTING: Four clinical sites. PARTICIPANTS: Adults with above-optimal BP or stage 1 hypertension. INTERVENTION: Participants ate one of the three dietary patterns for 8 weeks. Sodium intake and weight were held constant. In 355 of 459 DASH participants, DNA was extracted from leukocytes and genotyped for the G-6A ANG polymorphism and the D/I ACE polymorphism, by the polymerase chain reaction. MAIN OUTCOMES: Genotype at ANG and ACE loci; BP after 8 weeks of intervention diet. RESULTS: There was no association between ACE genotype and BP response. Associations with ANG polymorphism were significant: net systolic and diastolic BP response to the DASH diet was greatest in individuals with the AA genotype (-6.93/-3.68 mmHg) and least in those with the GG genotype (-2.80/0.20 mmHg). A similar relationship existed for the F/V diet. CONCLUSIONS: ANG genotype is associated with BP response to the DASH diet. The AA genotype confers excess risk of hypertension and is associated with increased responsiveness to diet.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Patterns and mechanisms of growth of fifth-instar Manduca sexta caterpillars following exposure to low- or high-protein food during early instars.

For many insect herbivores, variation in protein availability is a pervasive part of the environment. I explore how variable protein availability affects growth rates of fifth-instar Manduca sexta caterpillars and how growth is related to behavior and physiology. Groups of larvae were reared on low- or high-protein artificial diets (5.9% and 17.7% casein by dry weight, respectively) and then transferred in the fifth instar to the same or opposite diet. During or after the 24-h period following transfer, I measured growth rate, consumption rate, growth efficiency, midgut proteolytic activity, and masses of midgut contents and tissues. Fifth-instar caterpillars reared in earlier instars on high-protein diet grew about 20% more rapidly over 24 h than did caterpillars reared on low-protein diet. This growth pattern appears to be caused by differences in consumption and growth efficiency: caterpillars reared on high protein consumed more food, and used it more efficiently, than did caterpillars reared on low-protein diet. Over the short term (24 h), in contrast, fifth instars that received low-protein diet grew as rapidly as caterpillars that received high-protein diet. Increased (compensatory) consumption appears to be the primary mechanism by which caterpillars consuming low-protein food maintained growth rates.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2006

Diet, blood lipid profile and physical activity patterns in primary school children from a semi-rural area of Greece.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for heart disease are becoming increasingly prevalent among young populations. The aim of this study was to assess the cardiovascular risk profile of young adolescents living in a semi-rural area of mainland Greece, Volos. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 198 children (106 females and 92 males) aged 11.6 +/- 0.4 years were randomly recruited. RESULTS: Mean body mass index was 20.4 +/- 3.5 kg m(-2), while 30.3% of children were overweight and 6.7% were obese; no differences were observed between boys and girls. Mean plasma cholesterol (4.93 +/- 0.75 mmol L(-1)), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (3.29 +/- 0.64 mmol L(-1)) and triglyceride (0.97 +/- 0.31 mmol L(-1)) concentrations were above age-specific recommended values. On the other hand, mean high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was acceptable for 92.3% of the children. Self-reported daily energy intake (8.37 +/- 3.06 MJ) was adequate for age, but intake of fat was high (42.0 +/- 9.2% of energy) and that of carbohydrate was relatively low (44.5 +/- 10.0% of energy). Saturated fat consumption was elevated (15.6 +/- 4.3% of energy), while polyunsaturated fat intake fell short (4.8 +/- 1.6% of energy). The study participants spent 9.60 +/- 6.44 h week(-1) on moderate to vigorous physical activities, while they devoted 16.60 +/- 8.81 h week(-1) to sedentary activities. Boys spent significantly more time than girls on both physical (P < 0.001) and sedentary (P = 0.001) activities. No major gender differences were observed in anthropometric, dietary and plasma lipid parameters. CONCLUSION: The findings from the present study support the worrisome trends that have been documented in Greek youngsters elsewhere, and predict an unfavourable cardiovascular risk profile for the Greek population in the foreseeable future.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Changes in the maternal essential fatty acid profile during early pregnancy and the relation of the profile to diet.

BACKGROUND: Although the pattern of the essential fatty acids (EFAs) changes considerably from week 10 of pregnancy to term, no information is available on changes in EFA concentrations in the early stages of pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: The main objectives were to assess the EFA status, particularly that of 22:6n-3, in women during the first 10 wk of pregnancy and to investigate the relation of EFA status to dietary EFA intake during this period. DESIGN: Healthy women (n = 24) planning to become pregnant were recruited. The fatty acid composition of plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids was determined before and at weeks 4, 6, 8, and 10 of pregnancy. Food intake was assessed at entry into the study and at week 10 of pregnancy by using food-frequency questionnaires. RESULTS: A small but nonsignificant increase in dietary intake of 22:6n-3 was found. The plasma phospholipid content of 22:6n-3 (% by wt) increased continuously during the first 10 wk of pregnancy. At week 10 of pregnancy, the plasma percentages of 16:0, 20:3n-6, and 20:4n-6 had increased significantly, whereas the percentages of the 18-24-carbon saturated fatty acids, 18:2n-6, and the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids had dropped significantly. The composition of erythrocyte phospholipids showed changes similar to those observed in plasma. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal plasma and erythrocyte phospholipid 22:6n-3 concentrations start to increase in very early pregnancy, which cannot be explained by changes in dietary intake alone. This rise probably represents early maternal adaptations to meet the requirements of highly proliferating and differentiating tissues at this stage of fetal development.

Adult↗