Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Concentrations and Association with Weight Gain in Pregnancy.

Jerusa Da Mota Santana,Marcos Pereira,Ana Oliveira,Djanilson Dos Santos,Gisele Carvalho

doi:10.3390/nu14010128

Abstract

Lower concentrations of omega-3 (ω-3) and higher concentrations of omega-6 (ω-6) have been associated with excess weight in adults; however, the information on this relationship in pregnancy remains in its infancy. This study aimed to investigate the association between plasma levels of ω-3 and ω-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and weight gain during the gestational period. This is a prospective cohort study involving 185 pregnant women registered with the prenatal services of a municipality in the northeast of Brazil. The dosage of the serum concentration of fatty acids and the anthropometric measurements were carried out at the baseline, and the women’s weight information in the first, second, and third trimesters was collected from their pregnancy cards. Serum fatty acids were determined with the help of gas chromatography. The response variable of this study is the latent variable weight gain in pregnancy, derived from three variables: gestational weight in the first, second, and third trimesters. The main exposure was the plasma concentrations of PUFAs. Structural equation modeling was used for the data analysis. The mean age of the pregnant women was 26.74 years old (SD: 5.96 years). Most of the women had not completed high school (84%) and had a low income (70.86%). It was observed that the ω-3 PUFAs, represented by ALA plasm (alpha-linolenic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and the EPA/ALA ratio (eicosapentaenoic acid to alpha-linolenic acid ratio), were negatively associated with the weight gain during pregnancy construct (−0.20, −0.12, and −0.14, respectively). Meanwhile, the PUFAs represented by the ratio between the ω-6 category acids ARA and LA (arachidonic acid and linoleic acid) had a direct and positive association (0.22) with that construct. Excess maternal weight gain was associated with ω-3 and ω-6 plasma levels. The women with the greatest gestational weight gain were the ones that presented the highest ARA/LA ratio (ω-6) and the lowest plasma concentrations of ALA, DHA, and EPA/ALA ratio (ω-3).

Highlights

The current evidence indicates that the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has continuously decreased in Western diets due to the reduction in total fat and saturated fat in the total percentage of calories in the diet [1,2]
To evaluate weight gain in pregnancy, we considered the difference between the pre-gestational weight and the weights in each trimester of pregnancy
The excessive weight gain was associated with ω-3 and ω-6 series PUFA plasma levels

Summary

Introduction

The intake of omega-6 (ω-6) fatty acids has increased and that of omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids has decreased, resulting in a major increase in the proportion of ω-6 to ω-3 [3] This change in the composition of fatty acids has been accompanied by a significant increase in the prevalence of excess weight and obesity. This may be explained by the excess ω-6 inhibiting the activation of the ∆-6-desaturase enzyme, which maintains a balance in the proportion of ω-6 to ω-3, and the conversion of ω-3 into its active forms (EPA and DHA) [4]. Excess ω-6 (LA and ARA) has been associated with an increase in the inflammatory process and weight gain in individuals [1,3]

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Discussion

Conclusion