Key Findings
This review assesses research on the role that ALA and its metabolic products DHA and EPA in infant development and long-term health. The importance of ALA is only now beginning to be recognized; however, more thorough research is necessary in order to better understand its independent role in developmental programming. The author presents the concept that ALA may have a role in the programming of health. Specifically, it may have intrinsic regulatory properties on gene expression during fetal development that extend beyond its simple metabolic conversion to DHA and EPA. Although the human conversion of ALA to DHA and EPA is gender-related and relatively low (up to 4%) a higher consumption of ALA related to LA may increase it. Besides, individual DHA and EPA are not easily available and expensive. Moreover, DHA- and EPA-rich fish oil has some health disadvantages due to contaminating factors such as heavy metals, teratogens, and others.
ABSTRACT
The role of n 3 alpha linolenic acid (ALA) in the maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation, and its effect on the prevention of disease and programming of health in offspring, is largely unknown. Compared to ALA n- 3 docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids have been more widely researched due to their direct implication in fetal neural development. In this literature search we found that ALA, the essential n- 3 fatty acid and metabolic precursor of DHA and EPA has been, paradoxically, almost unexplored. In light of new and evolving findings, this review proposes that ALA may have an intrinsic role, beyond the role as metabolic parent of DHA and EPA, during fetal development as a regulator of gene programming for the prevention of metabolic disease and promotion of health in offspring.
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