Abstract
Past research using hepatic rat microsomes showed that soy protein suppressed delta-6 desaturase activity (D6D) compared to casein (a dairy protein). The effects of soy and dairy on desaturase pathway activity in humans remain poorly investigated. The objective of this analysis was to investigate the association between soy and dairy consumption with plasma fatty acids and estimate the desaturase pathway activity in a multiethnic Canadian population of young adults. We analyzed data from men (n = 319) and women (n = 764) previously collected for the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health Study. Food frequency questionnaires and plasma fatty acids were assessed. Relationships between soy and dairy beverages and food consumption with estimated desaturase activities were assessed by regression models and by grouping participants according to beverage and food intake data. Weak inverse associations (p ≤ 0.05) were found between soy consumption and the overall desaturation pathway activity, specifically D6D activity. When participants were grouped based on soy and dairy consumption habits, omega-6 LC-PUFAs, as well as various estimates of the desaturase pathway activity, were significantly lower in individuals consuming soy (with or without dairy) compared to individuals consuming only fluid milk and dairy products. In conclusion, soy consumption, not dairy consumption, appears to suppress desaturase pathway activity.
Highlights
Bovine milk is a rich source of nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins and minerals [1]
We first performed exploratory analyses to determine if the consumption of soy beverage, fluid milk, total soy and total dairy intake was correlated with estimated enzyme activities
Weak but statistically significant inverse correlations were observed between soy beverage intake and the arachidonic acid (AA)/LA ratio (R2 = 0.0125; p = 0.0002; Figure 2A) and estimated delta-6 desaturase (D6D) activity (R2 = 0.0064; p = 0.0083; Figure 2B)
Summary
Bovine milk is a rich source of nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins and minerals [1]. Fluid milk intake has declined among North Americans over the past decade, while the consumption of dairy foods (e.g., cheese and yogurt) has grown [2,3]. This can be due, in part, to the wide availability and popularity of plant-based alternatives to fluid milk, such as soy beverage [2,4]. Changes in consumer preferences are often attributed to general concerns about the saturated fatty acid content of milk and the association between these fats and cardiovascular risk, among others [2,5]. While the hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic effects of increased soy consumption are well documented, evidence suggests that soy protein may inhibit delta-6 desaturase (D6D) activity, a key enzyme involved in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) endogenous synthesis
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