ABSTRACT
Because docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is critical for the development of the nervous system, especially during the first year of life, the content of DHA in human milk is important for the well-being of exclusively breastfed infants. The aim of this study was to determine the fatty acid composition, including DHA, of the breast milk fat and serum phospholipids of women in New Mexico, and to correlate these data with dietary fatty acid content. Samples of blood and breast milk, 3-day diet records, and information on dietary supplement use were obtained from 29 women. Eligible subjects were nonsmokers, aged 18 to 40 years, lactating for 1 to 6 months, and not pregnant, taking immunosuppressive drugs, or diagnosed with diabetes. The mean fat content of the breast milk was 3.37+/-2.34 g/dL. The percentage of DHA in the milk fat was very low (0.11%) relative to international norms (0.2% to 0.4%) and could be explained by the women's low intake of DHA (33 to 58 mg/day). These data can be explained by the fact that the subjects were not taking DHA supplements or consuming foods that are good sources of DHA. Correlations were found between the percentages of DHA in the serum phospholipids and milk fat. The findings underscore the need for educating lactating women about food sources of DHA. Educational opportunities could occur in conjunction with other education postdelivery or during postnatal clinic visits.
Subject(s)
Diet , Docosahexaenoic Acids/administration & dosage , Docosahexaenoic Acids/metabolism , Lactation/metabolism , Milk, Human/chemistry , Phospholipids/blood , Adolescent , Adult , Diet/standards , Diet Records , Diet Surveys , Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/administration & dosage , Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/metabolism , Female , Humans , Lactation/blood , New Mexico , Patient Education as Topic , Seafood , Social ClassABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Trans fatty acids (TFAs) and conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) are present in dairy products and human milk and can have detrimental and beneficial effects in humans. The content of TFAs and CLAs in milk is determined largely by the diet of the mother. METHODS: We compared the proportions of TFAs and CLAs in the milk of rural Fulani in northern Nigeria who consume dairy products to that of women living in an urban center who consume little in the way of dairy products. Lactating Fulani women (n=41) and women residing in the city of Jos, Nigeria (n=41) were recruited into the study. We predicted that the milk of the Fulani pastoralists would contain higher amounts of TFAs and CLAs compared to their urban counterparts. RESULTS: The mean total TFA proportions for the Fulani and urban women were 0.22% and 0.34%, respectively, and were not significantly different. The percentages of CLAs in milk fat were not different between rural and urban women (0.16% vs 0.14%). These TFA and CLA values were 4- to 10-fold lower than for milk of women elsewhere in the world. CONCLUSIONS: The percentages of TFAs and CLAs in milk were not different between rural and urban dwellers in northern Nigeria whose diets differ greatly in the amounts of dairy products they contain. However, the fact that the percentages of TFAs and CLAs in the milk of Nigerian women were much lower than the percentages reported from other parts of the world may have implications for the long-term growth and development of infants in the northern Nigeria and elsewhere in the Western Sahel.
