Abstract
The importance of dietary lipids during childhood is evident, as they are necessary for correct growth and development of the newborn. When breastfeeding is not possible, infant formulas are designed to mimic human milk as much as possible to fulfill infant’s requirements. However, the composition of these dairy products is relatively constant, while human milk is not a uniform bio-fluid and changes according to the requirements of the baby. In this study, breast milk samples were donated by 24 Spanish mothers in different lactation stages and different infant formulas were purchased in supermarkets and pharmacies. Gas chromatography coupled to flame ionization detection was used for the fatty acid determination. Compared to breast milk, first-stage formulas are apparently very similar in composition; however, no major differences were observed in the fatty acid profiles between formulas of different lactation stages. The Galician women breast milk has a fatty acid profile rich in oleic acid, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. When comparing human milk with formulas, it becomes evident that the manufacturers tend to enrich the formulas with essential fatty acids (especially with α-linolenic acid), but arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid levels are lower than in breast milk. Additionally, the obtained results demonstrated that after 1 year of lactation, human milk is still a good source of energy, essential fatty acids, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids for the baby.
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This study has been approved by the Galician Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Comité Ético de Investigación Clínica de Galicia) and adhered to the principles of the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 as revised in 1983. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
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This article forms part of a special issue of the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry entitled “Impact of lifestyles patterns on human health: Integrated approach from the child to the elderly”
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Barreiro, R., Regal, P., López-Racamonde, O. et al. Comparison of the fatty acid profile of Spanish infant formulas and Galician women breast milk. J Physiol Biochem 74, 127–138 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-017-0580-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-017-0580-2