The impact of fish oil and/or probiotics on serum fatty acids and the interaction with low-grade inflammation in pregnant women with overweight and obesity: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial




Houttu Noora, Vahlberg Tero, Miles Elizabeth A, Calder Philip C, Laitinen Kirsi

PublisherCambridge Univ Press

2023

British Journal of Nutrition

The British journal of nutrition

Br J Nutr

1

16

0007-1145

1475-2662

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114523001915

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114523001915

https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/181282602



N-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA) and probiotics are generally considered to induce health benefits. The objective was to investigate (1) the impact of fish oil and/or probiotics on serum fatty acids (sFA), (2) the interaction of sFA with low-grade inflammation and (3) the relation of sFA to the onset of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Pregnant women with overweight/obesity were allocated into intervention groups with fish oil + placebo, probiotics + placebo, fish oil + probiotics or placebo + placebo in early pregnancy (fish oil: 1·9 g DHA and 0·22 g EPA, probiotics: Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 420, 1010 CFU, each daily). Blood samples were collected in early (n 431) and late pregnancy (n 361) for analysis of fatty acids in serum phosphatidylcholine (PC), cholesteryl esters (CE), TAG and NEFA with GC and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and GlycA by immunoassay and NMR spectroscopy, respectively. GDM was diagnosed according to 2 h 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. EPA in PC, CE and TAG and DHA in PC, CE, TAG and NEFA were higher in fish oil and fish oil + probiotics groups compared with placebo. EPA in serum NEFA was lower in women receiving probiotics compared with women not receiving. Low-grade inflammation was inversely associated with n-3 LC-PUFA, which were related to an increased risk of GDM. Fish oil and fish oil + probiotics consumption increase serum n-3 LC-PUFA in pregnant women with overweight/obesity. Although these fatty acids were inversely related to inflammatory markers, n-3 LC-PUFA were linked with an increased risk for GDM.

Last updated on 2025-27-03 at 21:56