Formula with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces incidence of allergy in early childhood. Postnatal Fish Oil Supplementation in High-Risk Infants to Prevent Allergy: Randomized Controlled Trial Modification of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids via complementary food enhances n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis in healthy infants: a double blinded randomised controlled trial Allergic disease in infants up to 2 years of age in relation to plasma omega-3 fatty acids and maternal fish oil supplementation in pregnancy and lactation. PUFA and LC-PUFA intake during the first year of life: can dietary practice achieve a guideline diet? Maternal fish oil supplementation in pregnancy reduces interleukin‐13 levels in cord blood of infants at high risk of atopy Impact of early dietary gamma-linolenic acid supplementation on atopic eczema in infancy. Dietary n-3/long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for prevention of sporadic colorectal tumors: a randomized controlled trial in polypectomized participants. Effect of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acid intakes from diet and supplements on plasma fatty acid levels in the first 3 years of life. Increased n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids do not attenuate the effects of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on insulin sensitivity or triacylglycerol reduction in Indian Asians. Randomised controlled trial of essential fatty acid supplementation in phenylketonuria Effect of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in pregnancy on infants’ allergies in first year of life: randomised controlled trial Epidemiological Evidence of Relationships between Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Mortality in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial Fish oil supplementation in pregnancy modifies neonatal allergen-specific immune responses and clinical outcomes in infants at high risk of atopy: a randomized, controlled trial. Associations between increases in plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids following supplementation and decreases in anger and anxiety in substance abusers The effect of N-6 and N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on hemostasis, blood lipids and blood pressure. [Evaluation of a local infant formula enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids produced in Israel].
BACKGROUND Allergy has sharply increased in affluent Western countries in the last 30 years . N-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( n-3 LCPUFAs ) may protect the immune system against development of allergy . METHODS We prospect ively categorized illnesses by body system in a subset of 91 children from the Kansas City cohort of the DIAMOND ( DHA Intake and Measurement of Neural Development ) study who had yearly medical records through 4 years of age . As infants , they were fed either a control formula without LCPUFA ( n = 19 ) or one of three formulas with LCPUFA from docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) and arachidonic acid ( ARA ) ( n = 72 ) . RESULTS Allergic illnesses in the first year were lower in the combined LCPUFA group compared to the control . LCPUFAs significantly delayed time to first allergic illness ( p = 0.04 ) and skin allergic illness ( p = 0.03 ) and result ed in a trend to reduced wheeze/asthma ( p = 0.1 ) . If the mother had no allergies , LCPUFAs reduced the risk of any allergic diseases ( HR = 0.24 , 95 % CI = 0.1 , 0.56 , p = 0.0.001 ) and skin allergic diseases ( HR = 0.35 , 95 % CI = 0.13 , 0.93 , p = 0.04 ) . In contrast , if the mother had allergies , LCPUFAs reduced wheezing/asthma ( HR = 0.26 , 95 % CI = 0.07 , 0.9 , p = 0.02 ) . CONCLUSIONS LCPUFA supplementation during infancy reduced the risk of skin and respiratory allergic diseases in childhood with effects influenced by maternal allergies BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE : Relative deficiency of dietary omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( n-3 PUFA ) has been implicated in the rising allergy prevalence in Westernized countries . Fish oil supplementation may provide an intervention strategy for primary allergy prevention . The objective of this study was to assess the effect of fish oil n-3 PUFA supplementation from birth to 6 months of age on infant allergic disease . METHODS : In a double-blind r and omized controlled trial , 420 infants at high atopic risk received a daily supplement of fish oil containing 280 mg docosahexaenoic acid and 110 mg eicosapentaenoic acid or a control ( olive oil ) , from birth to age 6 months . PUFA levels were measured in 6-month-old infants ’ erythrocytes and plasma and their mothers ’ breast milk . Eczema , food allergy , asthma and sensitization were assessed in 323 infants for whom clinical follow-up was completed at 12 months of age . RESULTS : At 6 months of age , infant docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid levels were significantly higher ( both P < .05 ) and erythrocyte arachidonic acid levels were lower ( P = .003 ) in the fish oil group . Although n-3 PUFA levels at 6 months were associated with lower risk of eczema ( P = .033 ) and recurrent wheeze ( P = .027 ) , the association with eczema was not significant after multiple comparisons and there was no effect of the intervention per se on the primary study outcomes . Specifically , between-group comparisons revealed no differences in the occurrence of allergic outcomes including sensitization , eczema , asthma , or food allergy . CONCLUSIONS : Postnatal fish oil supplementation improved infant n-3 status but did not prevent childhood allergic disease Objective : To study the effect of modified polyunsaturated fatty acid ( PUFA ) profiles of complementary food on long-chain ( LC ) PUFA composition in healthy infants . Design : Double blinded , r and omised , controlled intervention trial . Setting : Dortmund , Germany . Patients : Free-living sample of healthy term infants . Methods : Participants were r and omly assigned within the first 2 months of life . During the intervention period from 4 to 10 months , the control group ( n = 53 ) received commercial complementary meals with corn oil ( 3.4 g/meal ) rich in n-6 linoleic acid ( LA ) , the intervention group ( n = 49 ) received the same meals with rapeseed oil ( 1.6 g/meal ) rich in n-3 alpha-linolenic acid ( ALA ) .  Fatty acid intake was assessed from dietary records throughout the intervention period . Fatty acid proportions ( % of total fatty acid ) in total plasma were analysed before and after the intervention . Results : Plasma fatty acid profiles did not differ between the intervention and control groups before the intervention . During the intervention , the only difference in fatty acid intake between the intervention and control groups was a higher intake of ALA in the intervention group , 21 % deriving from study food and a lower ratio of LA/ALA ( 10.7 vs 14.8 ) . At the end of the intervention , the plasma proportions of total n-3 fatty acids and of n-3 LC-PUFA , but not of ALA , were higher and the ratios of n-6/n-3 fatty acids were lower in the intervention group . Conclusions : Feasible dietary modifications of the precursor fatty acid profile via n-3 PUFA-rich vegetable oil favoured n-3 LC-PUFA synthesis in the complementary feeding period when LC-PUFA intake from breast milk and formula is decreasing We have previously reported a protective effect of maternal omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( ω-3 LCPUFA ) supplementation in pregnancy and lactation on IgE-associated eczema and food allergy in the infant during the first year of life . Here we investigate whether the effects of the LCPUFA supplementation on IgE-associated diseases last up to 2 yr of age and assess the relationship between plasma proportions of ω-3 PUFAs and the frequency and severity of infant allergic disease . 145 pregnant women , at risk of having an allergic infant , were r and omized to daily supplementation with 1.6 g eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) and 1.1 g docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) or placebo starting in the 25th gestational week and continuing through 3.5 months of breastfeeding . Clinical examinations , skin prick tests and analysis of maternal and infant plasma phospholipid fatty acids and infant specific IgE were performed . No difference in the prevalence of allergic symptoms was found between the intervention groups . The cumulative incidence of IgE-associated disease was lower in the ω-3-supplemented group ( 6/54 , 13 % ) compared with the placebo group ( 19/62 , 30 % , p=0.01 ) . Higher maternal and infant proportions of DHA and EPA were associated with lower prevalence of IgE associated disease ( p=0.01 - 0.05 ) in a dose-dependent manner . Higher maternal and infant proportions of DHA and EPA were found if the infants presented none , when compared with multiple allergic symptoms , ( p<0.05 ) regardless of sensitization . In summary , the ω-3 supplementation offered no obvious preventive effect on the prevalence of clinical symptoms of allergic disease , but the decrease in cumulative incidence of IgE-associated disease seen during the first year still remained until 2 yr of age . Furthermore , high proportions of DHA and EPA in maternal and infant plasma phospholipids were associated with less IgE-associated disease and a reduced severity of the allergic phenotype Background : An appropriate supply of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( LC-PUFAs ) during early childhood may enhance cognitive development . Little attention is paid to the fatty acid ( FA ) supply during the complementary feeding period . We examined the polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) and LC-PUFAs pattern in dietary practice of two study groups and evaluated the results against the present Dietary Guidelines in Germany . Methods : The food consumption and FA pattern of dietary practice in subjects from two prospect i ve studies ( n=102 and n=184 , respectively ) at the age of 3 , 6 and 9 months was assessed by weighed diet records , and changes during the first year of life were compared with the food-based dietary guidelines for the first year of life . Results : Dietary practice in the complementary feeding period was clearly dominated by commercial food products . The FA composition in dietary practice was different from the Guideline Diet and the ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs was less favorable . Consumption of breast milk or formula was still of major importance for the intake of LC-PUFAs in the complementary feeding period . Conclusion : LC-PUFAs are predominantly provided by breast milk and formula during the first year of life and consequently decrease when milk consumption decreases . For compensation , commercial complementary food might come closer to the Guideline Diet by lowering the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio through appropriate vegetable oil along with an increase in total fat content up to the legal limit Background and objectives The epidemiological association between higher dietary n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA ) and lower prevalence of asthma , has led to interest in the role of early dietary modification in allergic disease prevention . In this study we examined the effects of maternal n‐3 (PUFA)‐rich fish oil supplementation on cord blood ( CB ) IgE and cytokine levels in neonates at risk of developing allergic disease Polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) are components of cell membranes and may play an immunomodulating role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis ( AD ) . The goal was to determine the impact of PUFAs on AD by dietary supplementation of infants . Based on the parents ' decision on their babies ' primary feeding , mothers and newborns were r and omized to the supplementation with gamma-linolenic acid ( GLA ) or placebo for up to 6 months . Breastfed infants received GLA by supplementing their mothers . Formula diet was commercial whey hydrolysate unsupplemented with PUFAs .  Of 131 eligible infants , 24 developed AD within the first year of life . Of these , nine belonged to the exclusively breastfed group ( n = 58 ) , 14 to the combined-fed group ( n = 53 ) , and one to the never breastfed group ( n = 20 ) . We could not find an influence of GLA on the development of AD . In subjects with AD , at 1 yr of age the serum-immunoglobulin E ( IgE ) was the lowest in the GLA-supplemented group A-subjects . In the GLA-supplemented group , GLA-levels in breast milk were similar in atopic and non-atopic infants . In the non-supplemented group the GLA-content of breast milk was 0.07 % of total fatty acids in atopic infants vs. 0.17 % in non-atopic infants ( p < 0.01 ) . Dietary GLA-supplementation could not prevent AD . Interestingly , the number of infants developing AD was the lowest in never breastfed children . In infants suffering from AD , GLA-supplementation seemed to reduce total IgE in the first year of life To address preventive effects of n-3 PUFAs/LC n-3 PUFAs on CRTs , a r and omized controlled trial was conducted . One-hundred four experimental group participants were advised to increase intake of n-3 PUFAs , including fish/shell fish , fish oil supplements and perilla oils , and to decrease consumption of n-6 PUFAs and fats/oils as a whole for 24 months .  One-hundred one control group participants were only caution ed to reduce consumption of fats/oils as a whole . R and om allocation was satisfactorily attained , and participants sufficiently complied with our regimen . Intakes , plasma concentrations , and compositions of the RBC and sigmoid colon membranes of n-3 PUFAs , LC n-3 PUFAs , EPA and DHA increased , and the ratios of n-6 PUFAs/n-3 PUFAs and AA/LC n-3 PUFAs decreased without any adverse response . Twenty-four months after the intervention , the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio ( 95 % confidence intervals ) was estimated to be 0.805 ( 0.536 - 1.209 ) with a signal towards the reduced CRT incidence BACKGROUND The optimal method for conducting omega (n-)3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ( PUFA ) supplementation trials in children is unknown . AIM To assess the impact of n-3 and n-6 PUFA intake from the background diet on plasma levels of n-3 and n-6 PUFA in children aged 0 - 3 years , with and without n-3 supplementation . METHODS Subjects were r and omised antenatally to receive either n-3 PUFA supplements and low n-6 PUFA cooking oils and spreads or a control intervention , design ed to maintain usual fatty acid intake . Dietary intake was assessed at 18 months by 3-day weighed food record and at 3 years by food frequency question naire . Plasma phospholipids were measured at both time points . Associations were tested by regression . RESULTS N-3 PUFA intake from background diet did not significantly affect plasma n-3 levels . In contrast , n-6 PUFA intake in background diet was positively related to plasma n-6 levels in both study groups . In addition , n-6 PUFA intake from diet was negatively associated with plasma n-3 levels at 18 months and 3 years ( -0.16%/g n-6 intake , 95%CI -0.29 to -0.03 and -0.05%/g n-6 intake , 95%CI -0.09 to -0.01 , respectively ) in the active group , but not in the control group . CONCLUSION Interventions intending to increase plasma n-3 PUFA in children by n-3 supplementation should also minimise n-6 PUFA intake in the background diet BACKGROUND Indian Asians in Western countries have a higher rate of coronary artery disease than do the indigenous white population s , and this higher rate may be influenced by a dietary imbalance of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) . OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that a high background dietary intake of n-6 PUFA attenuates the effects of fish-oil supplementation on insulin sensitivity and associated blood lipids of the metabolic syndrome . DESIGN Twenty-nine Indian Asian men were recruited to participate in a 12-wk dietary intervention trial . Volunteers were r and omly assigned to receive either a moderate or a high n-6 PUFA diet featuring modified oils and spreads over a 6-wk period . After this 6-wk period , both groups were supplemented with 4.0 g fish oil/d ( 2.5 g eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid ) for an additional 6 wk in combination with the dietary treatment . Volunteers participated in a postpr and ial study and an insulin sensitivity test after the 6-wk dietary intervention and again after the fish-oil supplementation period . RESULTS There was no significant time x treatment interaction for blood lipids or insulin action after dietary intervention with the moderate or high n-6 PUFA diets in combination with fish oil . After the 6-wk period of fish oil supplementation , fasting and postpr and ial plasma triacylglycerol concentrations decreased significantly . CONCLUSION The background dietary n-6 PUFA concentration did not modulate the effect of fish-oil supplementation on blood lipids or measures of insulin sensitivity in this ethnic group Objective : The long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( LC-PUFA ) status of children with PKU is often compromised . LC-PUFA , which are important fatty acids in the development of the CNS , can be synthesis ed endogenously from the parent essential fatty acids ( EFA ) provided dietary intakes are adequate . This study was design ed to assess the biochemical effect over a 20-week period of a phe-free protein substitute that has been supplemented with a balanced blend of n-3 and n-6 EFAs on LC-PUFA status of children with PKU . Design , setting and subjects : Fifty three community-living children aged 1–10 years diagnosed with PKU in the newborn period were recruited from seven tertiary centres in the UK and France and r and omised to a fat-free control formula or the EFA-supplemented test-treatment formula in an open , prospect i ve study . Forty four children completed the study ( 20 controls , 24 test-treatments ) . Fatty acid status was assessed at entry and 20-weeks follow-up . Three day dietary diaries were recorded at 20 weeks ' follow-up . The safety , efficacy and palatability of the test-treatment formula were also assessed . Results : The test-treatment group had significantly higher intakes of fat and EFA than the control group . There was a significant between group difference ( P=0.04 ) in increases in median docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) concentrations in erythrocyte phospholipids , which increased by 19 % in the test-treatment group and by 0.5 % in the control group over the study period . Growth and phe control were satisfactory in all subjects . Conclusions : Supplementing the diets of children with PKU with a balanced blend of n-6 and n-3 EFA improves DHA status without compromising AA status Objective To determine whether dietary n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid ( LCPUFA ) supplementation of pregnant women with a fetus at high risk of allergic disease reduces immunoglobulin E associated eczema or food allergy at 1 year of age . Design Follow-up of infants at high hereditary risk of allergic disease in the Docosahexaenoic Acid to Optimise Mother Infant Outcome ( DOMInO ) r and omised controlled trial . Setting Adelaide , South Australia . Participants 706 infants at high hereditary risk of developing allergic disease whose mothers were participating in the DOMInO trial . Interventions The intervention group ( n=368 ) was r and omly allocated to receive fish oil capsules ( providing 900 mg of n-3 LCPUFA daily ) from 21 weeks ’ gestation until birth ; the control group ( n=338 ) received matched vegetable oil capsules without n-3 LCPUFA . Main outcome measure Immunoglobulin E associated allergic disease ( eczema or food allergy with sensitisation ) at 1 year of age . Results No differences were seen in the overall percentage of infants with immunoglobulin E associated allergic disease between the n-3 LCPUFA and control groups ( 32/368 ( 9 % ) v 43/338 ( 13 % ) ; unadjusted relative risk 0.68 , 95 % confidence interval 0.43 to 1.05 , P=0.08 ; adjusted relative risk 0.70 , 0.45 to 1.09 , P=0.12 ) , although the percentage of infants diagnosed as having atopic eczema ( that is , eczema with associated sensitisation ) was lower in the n-3 LCPUFA group ( 26/368 ( 7 % ) v 39/338 ( 12 % ) ; unadjusted relative risk 0.61 , 0.38 to 0.98 , P=0.04 ; adjusted relative risk 0.64 , 0.40 to 1.02 , P=0.06 ) . Fewer infants were sensitised to egg in the n-3 LCPUFA group ( 34/368 ( 9 % ) v 52/338 ( 15 % ) ; unadjusted relative risk 0.61 , 0.40 to 0.91 , P=0.02 ; adjusted relative risk 0.62 , 0.41 to 0.93 , P=0.02 ) , but no difference between groups in immunoglobulin E associated food allergy was seen . Conclusion n-3 LCPUFA supplementation in pregnancy did not reduce the overall incidence of immunoglobulin E associated allergies in the first year of life , although atopic eczema and egg sensitisation were lower . Longer term follow-up is needed to determine if supplementation has an effect on respiratory allergic diseases and aeroallergen sensitisation in childhood . Trial registration Australian New Zeal and Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12610000735055 ( DOMInO trial : ACTRN12605000569606 ) Abstract This evaluation of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial data base investigated the effects of dietary PUFA on disease outcomes that may relate to polyunsaturated fatty acid ( PUFA ) biochemistry . The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial was a r and omized clinical trial in coronary heart disease ( CHD ) primary prevention involving 12,866 middle-aged men determined to be at high risk of CHD . They were assigned to either a special intervention group or a usual care group and returned to clinics on an annual basis for assessment of risk factor status . Only data on the usual care men ( n = 6,250 ) are presented , since the multi-intervention effects on the special intervention group introduce considerable analytic complexities . Mean PUFA intake estimates were calculated from four dietary recall interviews at baseline and follow-up Years 1 , 2 , and 3 and estimates for PUFA were established using absolute grams , percentage of total kilocalories , and ratios . Proportional hazards regression analysis controlling for age , race and baseline diastolic blood pressure , smoking , high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels , and alcohol was used to analyze dietary PUFA intakes on 10.5-year mortality rates . Results were more significant when PUFA were expressed as percentage of total kilocalories . No significant associations with mortality were detected for linoleic acid ( 18:2n-6 ) , the predominant dietary PUFA . Significant inverse associations were observed for linolenic acid ( 18:3n-3 ) on mortality from CHD ( P < 0.04 ) , all cardiovascular diseases ( CVD ) ( P < 0.03 ) , and all cause mortality ( P < 0.02 ) ; the sum of fatty acids primarily derived from fish oils ( 20:5n-3 + 22:5n-3 + 22:6n-3 ) on CHD ( P < 0.02 ) , CVD ( P < 0.006 ) , and all cause ( P < 0.02 ) mortality ; and , the ratio of 18:3n-3 to 18:2n-6 on cancer mortality ( P < 0.05 ) . Analysis using the total n-3 ( 18:3 + 20:5 + 22:5 + 22:6 ) to total n-6 ( 18:2 + 18:4 + 20:4 ) ratio was also significant on cancer mortality ( P < 0.04 ) . These findings support reports that n-3 fatty acids are protective against CVD and suggest that composition of dietary PUFA may influence CVD and cancer rates BACKGROUND There is growing interest in the potential role of anti-inflammatory n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( n-3 PUFAs ) in the prevention of allergic disease . OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether maternal dietary supplementation with n-3 PUFAs during pregnancy could modify immune responses in infants . METHODS In a r and omized , controlled trial 98 atopic , pregnant women received fish oil ( 3.7 g n-3 PUFAs per day ) or placebo from 20 weeks ' gestation until delivery . Neonatal PUFA levels and immunologic response to allergens were measured at birth . RESULTS Eighty-three women completed the study .  Fish oil supplementation ( n = 40 ) achieved significantly higher proportions of n-3 PUFAs in neonatal erythrocyte membranes ( mean + /- SD , 17.75 % + /- 1.85 % as a percentage of total fatty acids ) compared with the control group ( n = 43 , 13.69 % + /- 1.22 % , P < .001 ) . All neonatal cytokine ( IL-5 , IL-13 , IL-10 , and IFN-gamma ) responses ( to all allergens ) tended to be lower in the fish oil group ( statistically significant only for IL-10 in response to cat ) . Although this study was not design ed to examine clinical effects , we noted that infants in the fish oil group were 3 times less likely to have a positive skin prick test to egg at 1 year of age ( odds ratio , 0.34 ; 95 % confidence interval , 0.11 to 1.02 ; P = .055 ) . Although there was no difference in the frequency of atopic dermatitis at 1 year of age , infants in the fish oil group also had significantly less severe disease ( odds ratio , 0.09 ; 95 % confidence interval , 0.01 to 0.94 ; P = .045 ) . CONCLUSIONS These data suggest a potential reduction in subsequent infant allergy after maternal PUFA supplementation . More detailed follow-up studies are required in larger cohorts to establish the robustness of these findings and to ascertain their significance in relation to longer-term modification of allergic disease in children OBJECTIVE Mounting evidence indicates that low levels of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) play a role in the pathophysiology of a large number of psychiatric disorders . In light of the suboptimal n-3 PUFAs intake due to poor dietary habits among substance abusers and the strong associations between aggression , anxiety and substance use disorders we examined if insurance of adequate intakes of n-3 PUFAs with supplementation would decrease their anger and anxiety scores . METHOD Substance abusers ( n=22 ) were assigned to either 3 g of n-3 PUFAs , mainly eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) and docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) or soybean oil in identically looking capsules . The trial was double-blind , r and omized and lasted 3 months . Anger and anxiety scales were administered at baseline and once a month thereafter . Blood sample s were collected at baseline and at the end of the trial . RESULTS Patients ' dietary intakes of n-3 PUFAs fell below recommended levels . Assignment to n-3 PUFA treatment was accompanied by significant decreases in anger and anxiety scores compared to placebo assignment . These changes were associated with increases in plasma levels of both EPA and DHA but an increase in EPA was more robustly correlated with low end-of-trial anxiety scores and an increase in DHA was more robustly correlated with low end-of-trial anger scores . CONCLUSION These pilot data indicate that ensuring adequate n-3 PUFA intake via supplementation benefits substance abusers by reducing their anger and anxiety levels . The strong correlations between an increase in plasma EPA and lower anxiety scores and between an increase in plasma DHA and lower anger scores suggests a need for the further exploration of the differential responses to these two n-3 PUFAs in different psychiatric conditions Diverging results from studies of marine oil supplementation to western diets initiated the undertaking of a double-blind crossover study , with administration to healthy volunteers for 4 weeks of either 10 g of fish oil or 10 g of vegetable oil . Each oil containing approx . 40 % of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA ) respectively . During the n-3 PUFA period , systolic blood pressure , plasma total lipids , triglycerides and VLDL concentrations fell significantly whereas plasma antithrombin-III ( AT-III ) rose . Cutaneous bleeding time increased significantly . In contrast only AT-III rose during the n-6 PUFA feeding , however , more marked than during the n-3 oil period . It is concluded that a n-3 PUFA oil supplement to the western diet exerts an effect that generally is considered as beneficial in terms of the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases . It is in this respect superior to that of n-6 PUFA , stressing the necessity of a more differentiated approach to advice on dietary PUFA enrichment than presently is exerted Polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA ) are vital for the normal development of the brain and the eye retina in infancy . Breast milk contains significant amounts of PUFA , and compensates for their low production in infancy . Only recently a few companies with worldwide product distribution have started to enrich infant formula with PUFA . We evaluated the safety and clinical efficacy of a locally made PUFA-enriched infant formula , produced for the first time in Israel . 50 normal , full term infants participated in a prospect i ve , r and omized double-blind study . Half received a regular whey-predominant infant formula ( Materna Plus ) , and the other half a PUFA-enriched formula ( Materna Premium ) , both produced in Israel , for 30 days . Evaluation included physical examination , growth parameters , stool analysis , daily parental question naires regarding infant behavior and defecation , and developmental assessment . There were no significant differences on comparing growth parameters , infant behavior , attacks of restlessness , gas severity , or stool characteristics in the 2 groups . There were no side effects or abnormal stool findings in either group , and no differences in developmental assessment at 3 months of age . We conclude that the locally-produced PUFA-enriched infant formula is safe and clinical ly efficient . We assume that the lack of any effect on developmental indices is due to the relatively short exposure to the PUFA-enriched diet . Nevertheless , based on the recent literature , there is no doubt that PUFA supplementation is vital in improving infant brain and eye development
There is no evidence that PUFA supplementation in infancy has an effect on infant or childhood allergy , asthma , dermatitis/eczema or food allergy .
However , the quality of evidence was very low .
There was insufficient evidence to determine an effect on allergic rhinitis
BACKGROUND Early dietary intakes may influence the development of allergic disease .
It is important to determine if dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) given as supplements or added to infant formula prevent the development of allergy .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of higher PUFA intake during infancy to prevent allergic disease .