Blood fatty acid concentrations in the first half of pregnancy in India and Australia

Background: The levels of omega 3 fatty acids are lower in women living in India where strict vegetarian diets are common than women living in Australia where omnivore diets are common. The only omega 3 fatty acid consumed by strict vegetarians is ALA (18:3n-3) so any LCPUFA present in their blood must derive from the endogenous conversion of ALA to 20 and 22 carbon compounds. We compare LCPUFA of pregnant women consuming vegetarian and mixed diets.  Methods: Pregnant women (n=1023) living in Bangalore & Delhi India were enrolled into a clinical trial. At study entry, blood samples were collected, and women categorised as consuming diets that were either vegetarian or mixed (some omnivore consumption). Study entry blood samples were also collected from a similar trial of pregnant women residing in Australia and consuming omnivore diets (n=500). Capillary blood samples were collected on blood cards, dried and stored in a domestic freezer until transported to a central laboratory for analysis by capillary gas chromatography  Results: The blood fatty acids show omega 3 LCPUFA levels in Indian women were about half that seen in Australian women (Table). LA levels were slightly higher and AA levels modestly lower in Indian women than Australian women.    In the Indian Vegetarians, associations between each of the steps in the fatty acid pathways ranged from highest between ALA and EPA and lowest between DPA and DHA but were absent in the Australian omnivores (Table 2).    Conclusions. The associations between omega 3 fatty acids support the concept that women consuming a strict vegetarian diet can convert ALA into LCPUFA.  The higher intake of fatty acids of animal origin in the diet of Australian women may mask any associations between fatty acids.