Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLA)

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are an isomer of linoleic acid. The CLA are produced by biohydrogenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the rumens of dairy and beef cattle, sheep, etc. Meats, milk and milk products from these animals contain CLA. Smaller amounts are found in processed oil, presumably as the result of heating and oxidation.

The CLA content of ruminant meat and milk can be increased by manipulation of the cow’s dietary regimen. Consumption of these foods by humans increases the CLA content of breast milk and blood plasma. CLA have been reported to have a variety of beneficial effects. Therefore, it has stimulated and publications. Here are the brief beneficial effects of CLA:

1. Anticarcinogenic for carcinogen-induced tumors and neoplasias in stomachs and colons of mice and rats, mammary tumors of rats, and cultured human mammary cells. By extrapolation from rat studies, more CLA in the diet might protect against breast cancer. Ip, et al. calculated that 0.1% dietary CLA, the preventive amount for rats, would be equivalent to daily intake of 3 g for humans.


2. Overcame catabolic responses to endotoxin injection.


3. Improved weight gain and feed efficiency in rats.


4. Enhanced select immune functions in several animals.


5. Antiatherosclerotic in rabbits. Reduced total LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Reduced total cholesterol and early atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic hamsters.


6. Is a potent antioxidant although this has been questioned.


7. Modulated bone metabolism.


8. Altered lipid composition in mouse liver. Reduced body weight; increased feed efficiency.


9. Decreased body fat and increased lean body mass in mice.

CLA is surely posses many beneficial effects for our health. Its consumption will help our body in preventing from disease. Milk is the one of the CLA resources. Therefore, milk consumption is very suggested for human. McGuire et al. gave an average consumption in the United States as 50 to 180 mg/d for adults and 224 mg/d for lactating women. McGuire et al. also noted that consumption of only two glasses (16 oz, or 469 mL) of milk/d (55 mg/d of CLA) will be decreased the risk of breast cancer in women. Women should increase their ingestion of foods containing CLA while nursing their babies and protect themselves from breast cancer.

Regards

Reference: Robert G. Jensen, “Lipids in Human Milk”, Lipids, vol. 34, no. 12, 1999. .....Read the fullpost >>>

Trans Fatty Acid: Things You Should Know

According to www.medterms.com, trans fatty acid or trans fat is an unhealthy substance that are produced in foods by biohydrogenation in the rumen and appear in ruminant milks and their products and by processing of oils, partial hydrogenation, and heating. Trans fat is found in vegetable shortenings and in some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods and other foods, such as french fries.

Trans fatty acids (FA) be transferred to the fetus via cord blood and also to the infant through milk. The amounts are related to the quantities consumed in the maternal diet. The range of trans fat content in human milk is between 3.1 to 4.7. It can be different between one country to another. The difference in quantity is due to maternal diet. Consumption of trans fat in pregnant woman or lactating mother should be decreased, because it surely bring negative effects either for fetus or infant.

In this posting I want to try giving you the information about the effects of trans fat in human. Here are the points of its negative effects:

1. Hypercholesterolemic in adults, Not considered high risk according to the research.


2. None on amounts of prostaglandins in milk.


3. Impairment of biosynthesis of Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (LCPUFA) in premature infants and children and of growth in premature infants. However a causal relationship between trans FA intake and changes in early development not established according to Carlson, et al..


4. Trans fatty acids found in plasma triglycerides, sterol esters, and phospholipids of premature infants. Trans negatively correlated with birth weight and with the biochemical reactions alpha-linolenic acid to docosahexaenoic and linoleic acid to docosapentaenoic acid. Both LCPUFA (DHA and AA) required for maturation of brain and nervous system of infants


5. Effects in number 4 seen in children, 1–15 yr where applicable


6. Vaccenic acid (one of trans FA), t11-18:1, from ruminant fats may have less or no effect on coronary heart disease in women, it was inferred from Retrospective Dietary Study.


7. Trans FA in plasma of premature infants may be inversely associated with LCPUFA in membrane lipids.
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Hopefully this information will be useful for you.

Regards.

Kindly References: Robert G. Jensen, “Lipids in Human Milk”, Lipids, vol. 34, no. 12, 1999. .....Read the fullpost >>>

Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-9

Fatty acids are differentiated into saturated fatty acids, mono unsaturated fatty acids, and poly unsaturated fatty acids. This differentiation is based on the existence of double bond in the molecule structure of the fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids are the fatty acids without double bond in the molecule structure. The kind of saturated fatty acids which are often to be found in food are palmitic acid, stearic acid, miristic acid, and lauric acid.

The other kind of fatty acid is monounsaturated fatty acid. Omega-9 or oleic acid is the one of the member of monounsaturated fatty acids. While omega-3 and 0mega-6 are the member of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The term of “omega” showing the position of double bond that is closest to the methyl group in the edge of the molecule structure of fatty acids.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The kind of omega-3 fatty acids that seem most familiarly known is alpha-linolenic acid. In the body, this fatty acid can be altered into its derivate that having long chain, which is EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA or docosahexaenoic acid. Alpha-linolenic fatty acids are the most common to be found in the green vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, or lettuce. In the small amount, alpha-linolenic acid can be found in seeds, poultry, and meat lipids. Physiological function of omega-3 fatty acids had been observed to be having significant role in the development of nerve cells, brain, and also sight sense. The lacking of omega-3 in baby and children will disturb the development of their nervous system. This disturbance can spread to the other system (such as vision system, immune system, their remembering ability and also their mental ability) and disturb it.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids
The most familiar kind to be known is linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is the precursor of the formation of arachidonic acid (AA). This fatty acid can be found in foods from plant and its processed products, such as soy oil and sunflower oil. The function of this fatty acid is to help the formation of hormone-like compound and also to help in delivering the stimulation and command from one cell to another, including brain. Together with DHA, omega-6 fatty acids had been proven to help baby’s brain development process.

Omega-9 Fatty Acids
This kind of fatty acid can be found in bean, palm oil, olive oil, candlenut oil, and also meat. Omega-9 having a role in maintaining blood-cholesterol balance.

Regards. .....Read the fullpost >>>

DHA: Things Happened When Baby Is Sleeping

The sleeping duration of newborn approximately is around 16 hours in a day. Along with the increasing of their age until 3 years old, their sleeping duration will be slowly decreased. Baby’s sleep pattern is closely related to the docosahexanoic acid (DHA) content in the breast milk. Babies who acquire breast milk with the high DHA content show better in sleeping pattern than babies who receive breast milk with the low DHA content.

As long as baby sleep well, the whole system in their body have a chance to work with the velocity that had been regulated by nature. When baby is sleeping, several processes are continuously happened in the body so that either function or ability of each systems and organs develop in their manner. Besides that, the cells of body will grow, the immune system will develop, and the ability of brain and also central nerve system in processing stimulation received by the nerve tips will increase, it is all happened when baby is sleeping and when the needs of DHA fulfilled. Furthermore, if baby receive an adequate quantity of DHA from breast milk, then the process of brain formation and also the maturity of nerve cells in the brain will run correctly.

I think DHA is inevitably needed by baby. Nutrition and also stimulation are the two things which ascertain the intelligence of baby, and DHA is one of the nutrition part which having significant role in the brain development and eventually will increase baby’s intelligence.

Regards and be cleverer. .....Read the fullpost >>>

The Role of Essential Fatty Acids for Baby

The development of baby’s brain will be better if it is supported by the right stimulation and also nutrition. Essential fatty acids, such as omega-3, is profoundly having significant role in the baby’s brain development and consequently it will make baby become cleverer. Essential fatty acids have an important role in the formation of neuron cell wall and in the providing of energy for brain. The deficiency of essential fatty acid will disturb brain development.

There are three essential fatty acids which are important in influencing baby’s intelligence. Those are docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) which are grouped as linolenic fatty acid (omega-3), the other one of three fatty acids mentioned before is arachidonic acid (AA) which is belonging to linoleic fatty acid (omega-6) group. DHA and AA play an important role in the formation of neuron cell wall and providing energy for brain to develop. While AA and EPA have a significant role in smoothing blood circulation and preventing the degenerative diseases.

Essential fatty acid should be acquired from food, because human body doesn’t able to produce it. There are many researches that concluded the importance of essential fatty acid for human, particularly for baby. The research that were conducted in Avon (UK) resulted baby whose the mother consume adequate DHA have better Intelligence Quotient (IQ) than baby whose the mother lack of consuming DHA, the research involved 90000 of pregnant women.

In 2007, the research which was conducted by Dr. Sinn showed that children who have issue in learning activity and also in behavior manner will get better and show significant development after consume essential fatty acids. The more recently research, in 2008, conducted by Joseph L Jacobson as a leader in the research team also showed that DHA is very important in the development of baby’s brain.

As a conclusion, essential fatty acids surely have a vital role in the development of baby’s brain. So, it is task for us in providing the nutrition balance of food for our baby in order to make them healthy and cleverer.

Regards and stay healthy .....Read the fullpost >>>