Milk in the island of Chole [Tanzania] is high in lauric, myristic, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids, and low in linoleic acid reconstructed diet of infants born to our ancestors living in tropical coastal regions.

BACKGROUND: We need information on the diet on which our genes evolved. OBJECTIVE: We studied the milk fatty acid [FA] composition of mothers living in the island of Chole [Tanzania, Indian Ocean]. These mothers have high intakes of boiled marine fish and coconut, and consume plenty amount of fruits and vegetables. DESIGN: The outcome was compared with three fish-eating tribes living along Tanzanian freshwater lakes [Kerewe, Nyakius, Nyiramba], four tribes living in the Tanzanian inland [Hadzabe, Maasai, Sonjo, Iraqw] and our milk FA database. RESULTS: Milk from Chole contained high levels of 12:0 [20.17 g%], 14:0 [21.19], 12:0/14:0 ratio [0.92 g/g], arachidonic acid [AA, 0.50 g%] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA, 0.73], but low levels of linoleic acid [LA, 4.23]. The combination of a high medium chain fatty acid [MCFA;

Impaired maternal glucose homeostasis during pregnancy is associated with low status of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP) and essential fatty acids (EFA) in the fetus.

Low status of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP) and essential fatty acids (EFA) in the fetus is associated with less favorable neonatal neurological condition. A 'relative', rather than 'absolute' EFA deficiency might explain this finding. A relative EFA deficiency may derive from impaired maternal glucose homeostasis. We measured fatty acids in umbilical vessels of infants born to 7 mothers with (gestational) diabetes mellitus and of 258 infants born to healthy mothers. Umbilical veins of infants of diabetic mothers had higher omega7 and omega9 fatty acids and DHA deficiency index and lower 20:4omega6 and EFA index. Their umbilical arteries had higher omega7 and omega9 fatty acids, and lower 20:4omega6, LCP and EFA index. We conclude that children born to mothers with poor glucose homeostasis have lower EFA and LCP status, which is consistent with a 'relative deficiency' deriving from augmented de novo fatty acid synthesis from the abundant glucose.