Human milk in mothers in Belize, Curacao, Dominica, St. Lucia and Suriname, the fatty acid composition and the relevance of medium chain fatty acids containing triglycerides - abstract

ABSTRACT

Fatty acid composition of mature milk from Belize, Curacao, Dominica and Suriname and of colostrum, transitional and mature milk from women in St. Lucia was analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. Remarkable differences and striking similarities were found in fatty acid compositions. The levels of 60-120, the medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), and 140 were high (120-169 and 9.6-15.0 gm percent respectively) in all 5 countries as compared to reports from European countries. Palmitic acid (16) levels (20.2-23.6 gm percent were similar to reported levels from other societies. The levels of 22.+c, W3 (docosahexaenoic acid or DHA) were extremely high in Dominica (average 1.15 gm percent) and relatively high (0.25-0.56 gm percent) in other Caribbean countries as compared to reported levels of 0.05-0.23 gm percent in studies from the USA. When a mother is in energy equilibrium or positive energy balance, the fatty acid composition of her breast milk is related to that of her diet, whereas in negative energy balance, it resembles that of her adipose tissue. High levels of DHA in breast milk may be explained by consumption of fish rich in DHA. A high carbohydrate intake leads to a high MCFA content of breast milk, such as seen in all 5 Caribbean countries but especially in Dominica. The levels of MCFAs and 140 in breast milk from St. Lucia increased substantially from colostrum to mature milk at the expense of the longer chain fatty acids (AU)