Plasma Fatty Acid Biomarkers of Dairy Consumption Are Associated With Sex-Dependent Effects on MetS Components in Mexican Adolescents

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study investigates the association between plasma fatty acids (FAs) related to dairy intake and dairy portions with Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) components in Mexican adolescents. MethodsA total of 311 participants from the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) cohort were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Fasting blood samples were collected to assess the concentration of FAs in plasma. Dairy intake was assessed using a 7-day recall Food Frequency Questionnaire to determinate dairy servings per day. The following dairy biomarkers were used in analysis: pentadecanoic acid (C15:0), heptadecanoic acid (C17:0), and trans-palmitoleic acid (t-C16:1n-7). MetS components included waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and insulin. Linear regression models stratified by sex were fit to explore the association between plasma FAs tertiles and dairy portions (low fat/high fat) with MetS components as continuous variables, adjusted by age, socioeconomic status, sedentary behavior, BMI, pubertal status, and energy intake. ResultsThe mean age was 14.0 years (SD ± 2.0) and 50.6% were male. Significant associations between tertiles of dairy FAs and MetS components were found. In females, C17:0 (T2 vs T1: β = –2.0; 95% CI: –3.0, –0.1) and t-C16:1n-7 (T3 vs T1: β –3.1; 95% CI: –4.8, –1.1) were negatively associated with WC. Similarly, in males, t-C16:1n-7 was negatively associated with WC (T2 vs T1: β = –2.0; 95% CI: 4.1, –0.04, P = 0.05) and insulin (T2 vs T1: β –4.1; 95% CI: –7.1, –0.7). In female C17:0 was also negatively associated with HDL (T2 vs T1: β = –3.9; 95% CI: –7.4, –0.2). In contrast, C15:0 in females (T3 v2 T1: β = 44.5; 95% CI: 22.5, 66.5) and t-C16:1n-7 in male (T3 vs T1: β = 21.2; 95% CI: 1.7, 40.6) was related to increased triglycerides. High fat dairy portions were negatively associated with WC (β –0.86; 95% CI: –1.4, –0.28) in female. In contrast, low fat dairy portions were negatively associated with HDL-C (β –1.7; 95% CI: –3.4, –0.1). ConclusionsOur results suggest that adolescent dairy intake, assessed through FAS levels, may be associated in different ways with cardiovascular risk factors, and that associations are sex-dependent. Funding SourcesThe study is supported by National Institutes of Health. FAs analysis was funded by the University of Michigan Momentum Center.