Discrepancies in dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of fatty acids according to age among Japanese female dietitians.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the influences of age on dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of fatty acids (FAs) in Japanese female dietitians. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In autumn 1996, we estimated dietary FA intakes based on 7 day weighed diet records and analyzed plasma FA concentrations in 79 healthy Japanese female dietitians, and investigated their relationships with age, dividing into three age groups (young (32-42 y), middle-aged (43-50 y) and elderly (51-66 y)). RESULTS: Dietary intakes of total FA, saturated FAs, monounsaturated FAs, n-3 polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) and alpha-linolenic acid (183n-3) were significantly highest in the middle-aged group, and lowest in the elderly. Similar trends were observed for dietary intakes of n-6 PUFAs and linoleic acid (182n-6), but there were no differences with regard to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 205n-3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 226n-3) and n-3 highly unsaturated FAs (HUFAs=EPA+225n-3+DHA). On the other hand, plasma concentrations of all FAs except for arachidonic acid (204n-6) demonstrated positive correlations with age. Moreover, plasma concentrations of EPA in all age groups, DHA in the elderly and n-3 HUFAs in the middle-aged and the elderly were all positively correlated with dietary intakes. CONCLUSIONS: We should take into account the influence of age on dietary habit and lipid metabolism when interpreting associations between dietary FA intakes and plasma FA concentrations.