Higher erythrocyte n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid were associated with a better profile of DXA-derived body fat and fat distribution in adults

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity 2020-09, Vol.44 (9), p.1884-1892
• Main Authors: Li, Yi-hong, Sun, Ting-yu, Wu, Yan-yan, Li, Cheng-feng, Ling, Chu-yun, Zeng, Fang-fang, Chen, Yu-ming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/699/1702/393; 692/700/2814; Adipose tissue; Adults; Analysis; Body fat; Dietary supplements; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; Epidemiology; Erythrocytes; Fatty acids; Gas chromatography; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Men; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolic disorders; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Public Health; Quartiles; Type 2 diabetes; Unsaturated fatty acids; Women
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/s41366-020-0569-8

Background Previous studies have reported that high-dose supplementation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may reduce the risk of metabolic diseases, but there is limited evidence of an effect on body fat. We examined the associations of erythrocyte n-3 PUFAs with body fat and fat distribution in a general population consuming a normal diet. Methods This community-based cross-sectional study included 3075 Chinese (68% women, 40–75 years) recruited between 2008 and 2013. We collected general information and measured anthropometric indices; erythrocyte n-3 PUFAs (including α-C18:3, C20:5, C22:5 and C22:6) by gas-chromatography, and fat mass (FM) and %FM at the total body (TB), android (A) and gynoid (G) regions by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Results Both minimally and maximally adjusted models showed dose-dependent inverse associations of total and individual levels of erythrocyte n-3 PUFAs (except C20:5 n-3[EPA]) with adiposity indices. In the full model, the mean differences between quartiles 4 and 1 of total n-3 PUFAs were −1.60% (BMI), −4.06% (TB FM), −5.38% (A FM), −2.05% (G FM), −2.05% (TB %FM), −3.39% (A %FM) and −2.50% (% A/G); the ORs (95% CI) of %FM-derived obesity (≥25% for men, ≥35% for women) for the highest (vs. lowest) quartile were 0.70 (0.57, 0.86) for total n-3 PUFAs and 0.71 (0.58, 0.87), 0.96(0.78, 1.18), 0.82(0.67, 1.00), 0.66 (0.54, 0.81) for α-C18:3/C20:5/C22:5/C22:6 n-3, respectively. The favourable associations were more pronounced for the DXA-derived FM indices, measurements at the android region and for C22:6 n-3. No significant associations between C20:5 n-3 and the adiposity indices were observed. Conclusions Higher levels of circulating n-3 PUFAs were dose-dependently associated with better profiles of body fat and fat distribution, particularly in the abdominal regions in this population.