Title |
Balancing omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF)
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Published in |
BMC Medicine, May 2015
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DOI | 10.1186/s12916-015-0352-1 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
J Thomas Brenna, Peter Akomo, Paluku Bahwere, James A Berkley, Philip C Calder, Kelsey D Jones, Lei Liu, Mark Manary, Indi Trehan, André Briend |
Abstract |
Ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs) are a key component of a life-saving treatment for young children who present with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition in resource limited settings. Increasing recognition of the role of balanced dietary omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in neurocognitive and immune development led two independent groups to evaluate RUTFs. Jones et al. (BMC Med 13:93, 2015), in a study in BMC Medicine, and Hsieh et al. (J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2015), in a study in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, reformulated RUTFs with altered PUFA content and looked at the effects on circulating omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status as a measure of overall omega-3 status. Supplemental oral administration of omega-3 DHA or reduction of RUTF omega-6 linoleic acid using high oleic peanuts improved DHA status, whereas increasing omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid in RUTF did not. The results of these two small studies are consistent with well-established effects in animal studies and highlight the need for basic and operational research to improve fat composition in support of omega-3-specific development in young children as RUTF use expands.Please see related article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/13/93. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 2 | 20% |
United States | 1 | 10% |
Kenya | 1 | 10% |
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 1 | 10% |
Unknown | 5 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 7 | 70% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 3 | 30% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
Tanzania, United Republic of | 1 | <1% |
Canada | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 99 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 17 | 17% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 13 | 13% |
Researcher | 12 | 12% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 8 | 8% |
Other | 7 | 7% |
Other | 17 | 17% |
Unknown | 28 | 27% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 23 | 23% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 20 | 20% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 9 | 9% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 4 | 4% |
Economics, Econometrics and Finance | 4 | 4% |
Other | 13 | 13% |
Unknown | 29 | 28% |