Holiday Durham

The impact of supplemental N-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and dietary antioxidants on physical performance in postmenopausal women

ObjectivesIdentify relationships and evaluate effects of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) on frailty and physical performance. Design: Randomized, double blind pilot study.SettingUniversity General Clinical Research Center.Participants126 postmenopausal women.Intervention2 fish oil (1.2g eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) or 2 placebo (olive oil) capsules per day for 6 months. All participants received calcium and vitamin D supplements.MeasurementsFatty acid levels, frailty assessment, hand grip strength, 8 foot walk, body composition, medical history and co-morbidities, nutrient intake, and inflammatory biomarkers taken at baseline and 6 months.ResultsAt baseline, those with greater red blood cell (RBC) DHA and DHA/arachidonic acid (AA) presented with less frailty (r=−0.242, p=0.007 and r=−0.254, p=0.004, respectively). Fish oil supplementation resulted in higher RBC DHA and lower AA compared to baseline and placebo (p<0.001) and an improvement in walking speed compared to placebo (3.0±16 vs. −3.5±14, p=0.038). A linear regression model included age, antioxidant intake (selenium and vitamin C), osteoarthritis, frailty phenotype, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). The model explained 13.6% of the variance in the change in walking speed. Change in DHA/AA (p=0.01) and TNFα (p=0.039), and selenium intake (p=0.031) had the greatest contribution to change in walking speed.ConclusionPhysical performance, measured by change in walking speed, was significantly affected by fish oil supplementation. Dietary intake of antioxidants (selenium and vitamin C) and changes in TNFα also contributed to change in walking speed suggesting LCPUFA may interact with antioxidants and inflammatory response to impact physical performance.

Human Milk Secretory Immunoglobulin A and Lactoferrin N-Glycans Are Altered in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Very little is known about the effects of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on lactation and milk components. Recent reports suggested that hyperglycemia during pregnancy was associated with altered breast milk immune factors. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and N-glycans of milk immune-modulatory proteins are implicated in modulation of infant immunity. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of GDM on HMO and protein-conjugated glycan profiles in breast milk. Milk was collected at 2 wk postpartum from women diagnosed with (n = 8) or without (n = 16) GDM at week 24-28 in pregnancy. Milk was analyzed for HMO abundances, protein concentrations, and N-glycan abundances of lactoferrin and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). HMOs and N-glycans were analyzed by mass spectrometry and milk lactoferrin and sIgA concentrations were analyzed by the Bradford assay. The data were analyzed using multivariate modeling confirmed with univariate statistics to determine differences between milk of women with compared with women without GDM. There were no differences in HMOs between milk from women with vs. without GDM. Milk from women with GDM compared with those without GDM was 63.6% lower in sIgA protein (P < 0.05), 45% higher in lactoferrin total N-glycans (P < 0.0001), 36-72% higher in lactoferrin fucose and sialic acid N-glycans (P < 0.01), and 32-43% lower in sIgA total, mannose, fucose, and sialic acid N-glycans (P < 0.05). GDM did not alter breast milk free oligosaccharide abundances but decreased total protein and glycosylation of sIgA and increased glycosylation of lactoferrin in transitional milk. The results suggest that maternal glucose dysregulation during pregnancy has lasting consequences that may influence the innate immune protective functions of breast milk.

Effects of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Bone Turnover in Older Women

Animal and human studies indicate that omega (n)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) can influence bone health. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the effects of n-3 long chain (LC) PUFA supplementation (N-3 LCPUFA) on red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid levels and bone turnover markers in older postmenopausal women. One hundred and twenty-six postmenopausal women (mean age 75±7 years) were treated with n-3 LCPUFA (1.2 g eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]/docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]/day, n=85) or placebo (olive oil, n=41) for 6 months. All women received 315 mg calcium citrate and 1000 IU cholecalciferol. RBC DHA (weight %) increased in the n-3 LCPUFA group, compared to no change in the placebo group (P<0.001). The ratio of DHA+EPA:arachidonic acid (AA) increased by 42 % in the n-3 LCPUFA group and by 5% in the placebo group (P<0.001). Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin decreased in the n-3 LCPUFA group (P<0.05) with no between-group difference. Short-term n-3 LCPUFA supplementation increased RBC concentrations of DHA and n-3:n-6 ratios. Bone turnover decreased with n-3 LCPUF, but not statistically compared to placebo. The results point to the need for investigations with greater dosages of n-3 LCPUFA for a longer duration to understand the contribution to bone metabolism in postmenopausal women.

Infant Visual Acuity and Relationships with Diet and Nutrition

Visual processing involves the retina, thalamus, and primary visual cortex and cognitive response to visual information involves the integration of various cortical regions. Measures of infant visual acuity have focused on two main aspects of the visual system; retinal development using electroretinogram (ERG) and visual processing at the level of the primary visual cortex. Visual evoked potential (VEP) and behavioral assessments such as the forced-choice preferential looking are two measures involving processing at or beyond the level of the primary visual cortex. VEP measures cortical response directly and has less inherent variability. Forced-choice preferential looking procedures provide insight regarding the integration of visual information beyond the primary visual cortex. The retinal photoreceptors and the gray matter of the cortex have high docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3) content. The majority of research investigating functional outcomes in human infants has repeatedly demonstrated better visual function related to the provision of DHA during the prenatal and postnatal periods in comparison to infants who were not supplemented. Multiple independent research groups have documented that pregnant women have DHA intakes well below current recommendations. In turn, DHA deficits during the prenatal period place the developing fetus at risk for interruptions in visual system development. Although breast milk is the best source of DHA for infants during the postnatal period DHA supplementation is necessary for formula-fed infants. The three main sources of DHA and arachidonic acid oil considered used in infant formulas: marine, egg phospholipid, and single-cell oils. Of the three, single-cell oils are the most efficacious for supplementation of formula-fed infants and women of child-bearing age. Increased efforts toward community-based educational programs targeting women of child-bearing age aimed to increase DHA intake are highly important. Interruptions in visual development can delay the achievement of other developmental milestones with important long-term implications.