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Serum polyunsaturated fatty acids in infancy are associated with body composition in adolescence

Kerry Flannagan1, Sheila Gahagan2, Arun Das3

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Pediatric Obesity
|May 20, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Certain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in infancy are linked to increased adiposity later in childhood. Specifically, alpha-linolenic acid and docosapentaenoic acid at age 1 were associated with higher body fat at age 16.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Science
  • Pediatric Health
  • Metabolic Research

Background:

  • Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) influence adiposity, with n-3 PUFA potentially protective and n-6 PUFA linked to increased adiposity.
  • Most existing research focuses on adults, leaving the role of PUFA in infant adiposity development largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between serum PUFA levels in 1-year-old infants and changes in body mass index Z score (BMIZ) up to age 16.
  • To evaluate the relationship between infant serum PUFA and body composition (fat mass, lean mass) at age 16.

Main Methods:

  • Serum PUFA levels were measured in 636 Chilean infants at age 1.
  • Body Mass Index Z score (BMIZ) was tracked at ages 1, 5, 10, and 16 years.
  • Body composition at age 16 was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Main Results:

  • No significant association was found between overall PUFA levels and BMIZ change from age 1 to 16.
  • Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) were positively associated with increased total and truncal fat mass at age 16.
  • Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) showed an inverse association with percent truncal fat mass, while gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and the Delta-6-desaturase (D6D) index were positively associated with fat mass.

Conclusions:

  • Specific PUFA, including ALA and DPA, along with the D6D activity index, are positively associated with adiposity in childhood.
  • EPA and the Delta-5-desaturase (D5D) index show inverse associations with central adiposity, aligning with some prior research.
  • These findings highlight the differential impact of various PUFA on infant adiposity development and body composition later in life.
Abstract

Keywords:
Chilebody compositionbody mass indexchildreninfantspolyunsaturated fatty acids

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