Maternal dietary alpine butter intake affects human milk: Fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid isomers

A vegetable fat-based diet delays psychomotor and cognitive development compared with maternal dairy fat intake in infant gray mouse lemurs

Dairy fat has a unique lipid profile; it is rich in short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids that induce ketone production and has a balanced ω6/ω3 ratio that promotes cognitive development in early life. Moreover, the high consumption of vegetable oils in pregnant and lactating women raises concerns regarding the quality of lipids provided to offspring. Here, we investigate maternal dairy fat intake during gestation and lactation in a highly valuable primate model for infant nutritional studies, the gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus). Two experimental diets are provided to gestant mouse lemurs: a dairy fat-based (DF) or vegetable fat-based diet (VF). The psychomotor performance of neonates is tested during their first 30 days. Across all tasks, we observe more successful neonates born to mothers fed a DF diet. A greater rate of falls is observed in 8-day-old VF neonates, which is associated with delayed psychomotor development. Our findings suggest the potential benefits of lipids originating from a lactovegetarian diet compared with those originating from a vegan diet for the psychomotor development of neonates.

Molecular effects of the consumption of margarine and butter varying in trans fat composition: a parallel human intervention study

BACKGROUND

Whereas the dietary intake of industrial trans fatty acids (iTFA) has been specifically associated with inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, understanding the impact of dietary fats on human health remains challenging owing to their complex composition and individual effects of their lipid components on metabolism. The aim of this study is to profile the composition of blood, measured by the fatty acid (FAs) profile and untargeted metabolome of serum and the transcriptome of blood cells, in order to identify molecular signatures that discriminate dietary fat intakes.

METHODS

In a parallel study, the molecular effects of consuming dairy fat containing ruminant TFA (rTFA) or margarine containing iTFA were investigated. Healthy volunteers (n = 42; 45-69 y) were randomly assigned to diets containing margarine without TFA as major source of fat (wTFA control group with 0.4 g TFA per 100 g margarine), margarine with iTFA (iTFA group with 4.1 g TFA per 100 g margarine), or butter with rTFA (rTFA group with 6.3 g TFA per 100 g butter) for 4 weeks. The amounts of test products were individually selected so that fat intake contributed to 30-33% of energy requirements and TFA in the rTFA and iTFA groups contributed to up to 2% of energy intake. Changes in fasting blood values of lipid profiles (GC with flame-ionization detection), metabolome profiles (LC-MS, GC-MS), and gene expression (microarray) were measured.

RESULTS

Eighteen FAs, as well as 242 additional features measured by LC-MS (185) and GC-MS (54) showed significantly different responses to the diets (PFDR-adjusted < 0.05), mainly distinguishing butter from the margarine diets while gene expression was not differentially affected. The most abundant TFA in the butter, i.e. TFA containing (E)-octadec-11-enoic acid (C18:1 t11; trans vaccenic acid), and margarines, i.e. TFA containing (E)-octadec-9-enoic acid (C18:1 t9; elaidic acid) were reflected in the significantly different serum levels of TFAs measured after the dietary interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

The untargeted serum metabolome differentiates margarine from butter intake although the identification of the discriminating features remains a bottleneck. The targeted serum FA profile provides detailed information on specific molecules differentiating not only butter from margarine intake but also diets with different content of iTFAs in margarine.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00933322.

Supplementation with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) to breastfeeding mothers for improving child growth and development

BACKGROUND

Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are the most abundant fatty acids in the brain and are necessary for growth and maturation of an infant's brain and retina. LCPUFAs are named "essential" because they cannot be synthesised efficiently by the human body and come from maternal diet. It remains controversial whether LCPUFA supplementation to breastfeeding mothers is beneficial for the development of their infants.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness and safety of supplementation with LCPUFA in breastfeeding mothers in the cognitive and physical development of their infants as well as safety for the mother and infant.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (6 August 2014), CENTRAL (Cochrane Library 2014, Issue 8), PubMed (1966 to August 2014), EMBASE (1974 to August 2014), LILACS (1982 to August 2014), Google Scholar (August 2014) and reference lists of published narrative and systematic reviews.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials or cluster-randomised controlled trials evaluating the effects of LCPUFA supplementation on breastfeeding mothers (including the pregnancy period) and their infants.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed eligibility and trial quality, performed data extraction and evaluated data accuracy.

MAIN RESULTS

We included eight randomised controlled trials involving 1567 women. All the studies were performed in high-income countries. The longest follow-up was seven years.We report the results from the longest follow-up time point from included studies. Overall, there was moderate quality evidence as assessed using the GRADE approach from these studies for the following outcomes measured beyond 24 months age of children: language development and child weight. There was low-quality evidence for the outcomes: Intelligence or solving problems ability, psychomotor development, child attention, and child visual acuity.We found no significant difference in children's neurodevelopment at long-term follow-up beyond 24 months: language development (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.56 to 0.02; two trials, 187 participants); intelligence or problem-solving ability (three trials, 238 participants; SMD 0.00, 95% CI -0.36 to 0.36); psychomotor development (SMD -0.11, 95% CI -0.48 to 0.26; one trial, 113 participants); motor development (SMD -0.23, 95% CI -0.60 to 0.14; one trial, 115 participants), or in general movements (risk ratio, RR, 1.12, 95% CI 0.58 to 2.14; one trial, 77 participants; at 12 weeks of life). However, child attention scores were better at five years of age in the group of children whose mothers had received supplementation with fatty acids (mean difference (MD) 4.70, 95% CI 1.30 to 8.10; one study, 110 participants)). In working memory and inhibitory control, we found no significant difference (MD -0.02 95% CI -0.07 to 0.03 one trial, 63 participants); the neurological optimality score did not present any difference (P value: 0.55).For child visual acuity, there was no significant difference (SMD 0.33, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.71; one trial, 111 participants).For growth, there were no significant differences in length (MD -0.39 cm, 95% CI -1.37 to 0.60; four trials, 441 participants), weight (MD 0.13 kg, 95% CI -0.49 to 0.74; four trials, 441 participants), and head circumference (MD 0.15 cm, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.58; three trials, 298 participants). Child fat mass and fat mass distribution did not differ between the intervention and control group (MD 2.10, 95% CI -0.48 to 4.68; one trial, 115 participants, MD -0.50, 95% CI -1.69 to 0.69; one trial, 165 participants, respectively).One study (117 infants) reported a significant difference in infant allergy at short-term follow-up (risk ratio (RR) 0.13, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.95), but not at medium-term follow-up (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.17 to 1.59).We found no significant difference in two trials evaluating postpartum depression. Data were not possible to be pooled due to differences in the describing of the outcome. One study (89 women) did not find any significant difference between the LCPUFA supplementation and the control group at four weeks postpartum (MD 1.00, 95%CI -1.72 to 3.72).No adverse effects were reported.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Based on the available evidence, LCPUFA supplementation did not appear to improve children's neurodevelopment, visual acuity or growth. In child attention at five years of age, weak evidence was found (one study) favouring the supplementation. Currently, there is inconclusive evidence to support or refute the practice of giving LCPUFA supplementation to breastfeeding mothers in order to improve neurodevelopment or visual acuity.

Traditional cheeses: rich and diverse microbiota with associated benefits

The risks and benefits of traditional cheeses, mainly raw milk cheeses, are rarely set out objectively, whence the recurrent confused debate over their pros and cons. This review starts by emphasizing the particularities of the microbiota in traditional cheeses. It then describes the sensory, hygiene, and possible health benefits associated with traditional cheeses. The microbial diversity underlying the benefits of raw milk cheese depends on both the milk microbiota and on traditional practices, including inoculation practices. Traditional know-how from farming to cheese processing helps to maintain both the richness of the microbiota in individual cheeses and the diversity between cheeses throughout processing. All in all more than 400 species of lactic acid bacteria, Gram and catalase-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and moulds have been detected in raw milk. This biodiversity decreases in cheese cores, where a small number of lactic acid bacteria species are numerically dominant, but persists on the cheese surfaces, which harbour numerous species of bacteria, yeasts and moulds. Diversity between cheeses is due particularly to wide variations in the dynamics of the same species in different cheeses. Flavour is more intense and rich in raw milk cheeses than in processed ones. This is mainly because an abundant native microbiota can express in raw milk cheeses, which is not the case in cheeses made from pasteurized or microfiltered milk. Compared to commercial strains, indigenous lactic acid bacteria isolated from milk/cheese, and surface bacteria and yeasts isolated from traditional brines, were associated with more complex volatile profiles and higher scores for some sensorial attributes. The ability of traditional cheeses to combat pathogens is related more to native antipathogenic strains or microbial consortia than to natural non-microbial inhibitor(s) from milk. Quite different native microbiota can protect against Listeria monocytogenes in cheeses (in both core and surface) and on the wooden surfaces of traditional equipment. The inhibition seems to be associated with their qualitative and quantitative composition rather than with their degree of diversity. The inhibitory mechanisms are not well elucidated. Both cross-sectional and cohort studies have evidenced a strong association of raw-milk consumption with protection against allergic/atopic diseases; further studies are needed to determine whether such association extends to traditional raw-milk cheese consumption. In the future, the use of meta-omics methods should help to decipher how traditional cheese ecosystems form and function, opening the way to new methods of risk-benefit management from farm to ripened cheese.

Maternal farm exposure/ingestion of unpasteurized cow's milk and allergic disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The prevalence of allergic diseases has reached a high prevalence in affluent countries. Yet, there are areas and living conditions associated with very low rates which are attributable to environmental exposures. One example is the low prevalence of childhood asthma and allergies amongst children raised on farms, particularly those exposed to farm animals and unprocessed cow's milk very early in life which are being reviewed in this article.

RECENT FINDINGS

Several studies have shown that maternal exposure to various farm animals in pregnancy is related to a reduced risk of atopic dermatitis in the child and immune responses which have generally been regarded as protecting from the development of asthma and allergies. In addition, maternal and infant consumption of unprocessed cow's milk has repeatedly been associated with protection from childhood asthma and allergies. The precise nature of the protective factors remains to be elucidated. Maternal exposures to farm animals result in increased microbial exposures, the diversity of which has been associated with protection from childhood asthma. The beneficial milk constituents may, however, not be contained in the microbial contamination of milk samples but rather in the whey fraction of unprocessed cow's milk.

SUMMARY

Better understanding of these protective exposures might in the future enable the development of new prevention strategies.

Supplementation with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) to breastfeeding mothers for improving child growth and development

BACKGROUND

Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are the most abundant fatty acids in the brain and are necessary for growth and maturation of the brain and retina. LCPUFA are named "essential" because they cannot be synthesised efficiently by the human body and come from maternal diet. It remains controversial whether LCPUFA supplementation to breastfeeding mothers is beneficial for the development of their infants.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness and safety of supplementation with LCPUFA in breastfeeding mothers in the cognitive and physical development of their infants as well as safety for the mother and infant.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (November 2009), CENTRAL (2009, Issue 2), PubMed (1966 to July 2009), EMBASE (1974 to June 2009), CINAHL (1984 to June 2009), LILACS (1982 to June 2009), Google Scholar (June 2009) and reference lists of published narrative and systematic reviews.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials or cluster-randomised controlled trials evaluating the effects of LCPUFA supplementation on breastfeeding mothers and their infants.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed eligibility and trial quality and performed data extraction.

MAIN RESULTS

We included six randomised controlled trials involving 1280 women. We found no significant difference in children's neurodevelopment: language development (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.49 to 0.20; two trials, 349 participants); intelligence or problem-solving ability (two trials, 817 participants; SMD -0.22, 95% CI -0.23 to 0.66); psychomotor development (SMD 0.34, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.78; two trials, 279 participants); motor development (SMD 0.08, 95% CI -0.13 to 0.29; two trials, 349 participants); in child attention there was a significant difference (SMD 0.50, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.77; one study). For child visual acuity there was no significant difference (SMD -0.06, 95% CI -0.26 to 0.14; three trials, 401 participants). For growth, there were significant differences in length (MD -0.75 cm, 95% CI -1.38 to -0.12; two trials, 834 participants) and head circumference (MD 0.69 cm, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.02; one trial, 244 participants). One study reported a significant difference in infant allergy (risk ratio (RR) 0.12, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.95). We found no significant difference in one trial evaluating postpartum depression (SMD 0.15, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.41).  

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Based on the limited evidence that we found, LCPUFA supplementation did not appear to improve children's neurodevelopment or visual acuity. In two studies, LCPUFA supplementation was associated with increased head circumference. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support or refute the practice of giving LCPUFA supplementation to breastfeeding mothers in order to improve infant growth and development.

Transfer of conjugated linoleic acid from sows to their offspring and its impact on the fatty acid profiles of plasma, muscle, and subcutaneous fat in piglets

This experiment was conducted to determine if CLA could be transferred from sows to their offspring through the umbilical cord or milk. Eighteen pregnant Dalland sows of mixed parity were used in a completely randomized block design based on parity and BW. The sows were allotted to 1 of 3 groups and fed diets containing 0, 0.5, or 1.0% CLA during the last 50 d of gestation and throughout a 26-d lactation (n = 6). Umbilical cord blood was sampled at parturition. Colostrum and milk were collected from each sow on d 2 and 15 after farrowing. Samples of blood, backfat, and the LM were obtained from piglets at 2 and 26 d of age. Sow reproductive performance and piglet growth were not altered by CLA supplementation during the late gestation and lactation periods. The CLA supplementation of sow diets had an impact on the fatty acid profiles in colostrum and milk. Dietary CLA increased the concentrations of total SFA (linear and quadratic, P < 0.01), but reduced the total MUFA in the colostrum (linear and quadratic, P < 0.01). Although dietary CLA increased the concentrations of total SFA (quadratic, P < 0.01), it had no influence on total MUFA concentrations in the milk. In addition, feeding sows diets supplemented with CLA resulted in increases (linear and quadratic, P < 0.01) in the CLA content of plasma, backfat, and the LM in their offspring. However, trans-10, cis-12-18:2, rather than cis-9, trans-11-18:2, was detected in the umbilical cord blood, which indicates that CLA may be transported from the sow to the fetus in an isomer-specific manner.

Effect of dietary alpine butter rich in conjugated linoleic acid on milk fat composition of lactating sows

Multiparous sows (n 17) were included in a controlled cross-over-study in order to investigate the influence of a natural source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (alpine butter) on the milk fatty acid composition of lactating sows (as an animal model for lactating women) and on the growth performance of their progeny. The usual fat source of a standard lactation diet was replaced by either CLA-rich alpine butter or margarine (control diet). Compared with the margarine diet, feeding the alpine butter-supplemented diet increased (P 0.05) affected. Growth performance of the progeny was similar for both dietary treatments. In summary, the findings show that adding alpine butter to the diet does not provoke a milk fat depression and does not alter the composition of total SFA, MUFA and PUFA in sow milk but increases its CLA concentration.

Influence of organic diet on the amount of conjugated linoleic acids in breast milk of lactating women in the Netherlands

The aim of the present study was to find out whether the incorporation of organic dairy and meat products in the maternal diet affects the contents of the conjugated linoleic acid isomers (CLA) and trans-vaccenic acid (TVA) in human breast milk. To this purpose, milk samples from 312 breastfeeding mothers participating in the KOALA Birth Cohort Study have been analysed. The participants had documented varying lifestyles in relation to the use of conventional or organic products. Breast milk samples were collected 1 month postpartum and analysed for fatty acid composition. The content of rumenic acid (the main CLA) increased in a statistically significant way while going from a conventional diet (no organic dairy/meat products, 0.25 weight % (wt%), n 186) to a moderately organic diet (50-90 % organic dairy/meat, 0.29 wt%, n 33, P = 0.02) and to a strict organic diet (>90 % organic dairy/meat, 0.34 wt%, n 37, P </= 0.001). The levels of TVA were augmented among the participants with a moderately organic diet (0.54 wt%) and those with a strict organic diet (0.59 wt%, P </= 0.001), in comparison with the conventional group (0.48 wt%). After adjusting for covariables (recruitment group, maternal age, maternal education, use of supplements and season), statistical significance was retained in the group of the strict organic dairy users (P < 0.001 for rumenic acid). Hence, the levels of CLA and TVA in human milk can be modulated if breastfeeding mothers replace conventional dairy and/or meat products by organic ones. A potential contribution of CLA and TVA to health improvement is briefly discussed.