Evidence for the essentiality of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid in the postnatal maternal and infant diet for the development of the infant’s immune system early in life

Abstract

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially the balance between arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids are known to have important immunomodulatory roles during the postnatal period when the immune system is rapidly developing. AA and DHA are required in infant formula in many countries but are optional in North America. The rationale for adding these LCPUFA to full-term formula is based on their presence in breast milk and randomized controlled studies that suggest improved cognitive function in preterm infants, but results are more variable in full-term infants. Recently, the European Food Safety Authority has proposed, based on a lack of functional evidence, that AA is not required in infant formula for full-term infants during the first year of life but DHA should remain mandatory. The purpose of this review is to review the evidence from epidemiological and intervention studies regarding the essentiality of AA and DHA in the postnatal infant and maternal diet (breast-feeding) for the immune system development early in life. Although studies support the essentiality of DHA for the immune system development, more research is needed to rule out the essentiality of AA. Nevertheless, intervention studies have demonstrated improvement in many markers of immune function in infants fed formula supplemented with AA and DHA compared with unsupplemented formula, which appears to consistently result in beneficial health outcomes including reduction in the risk of developing allergic and atopic disease early in life.Key words: nutritional immunology, postnatal diets, early development, arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, allergy, atopic diseases, infant formula, breast milk. Résumé :Les acides gras polyinsaturés à longue chaîne (AGPLC) et particulièrement la proportion des acides arachidonique (AA) et docosahexaénoïque (DHA) exercent, selon des études, d'importantes fonctions immunomodulatoires durant la période postnatale lorsque le système immunitaire se développe rapidement. La présence de AA et DHA est obligatoire dans les préparations pour nourrissons dans plusieurs pays, mais facultative en Amérique du Nord. On ajoute des AGPLC dans les préparations complètes parce qu'ils sont présents dans le lait maternel et, aussi, que des études randomisées contrôlées rapportent une amélioration de la fonction cognitive chez des enfants prématurés, mais les résultats ne sont pas uniformes chez les enfants nés à terme. Récemment, l'European Food Safety Authority a proposé, faute de résultats probants, que AA ne soit pas obligatoire durant la première année dans les préparations pour nourrissons nés à terme, mais que DHA demeure obligatoire. Cette analyse documentaire a pour objectif de réviser les données probantes dans les études épidémiologiques et interventionnelles traitant de l'essentialité des AA et DHA dans le régime alimentaire postnatal du nourrisson et de la mère allaitante pour le développement du système immunitaire tôt dans la vie. Même si des études plaident en faveur de l'e...

Docosahexaenoic Acid

“…The first results from the Comparing EPA to DHA Study were published recently and demonstrated for the first time, to our knowledge, that DHA is more effective than EPA in modulating specific markers of inflammation, as well as blood lipids (a greater reduction in TGs and a greater increase in HDL cholesterol) (9). Studies have shown that DHA supplementation in the maternal diet may have a favorable impact on the development of the infant's immune system and the risk of allergic or atopic diseases early in life (10). Recent studies also have identified polymorphisms in several genes that could partly explain the large interindividual variability observed in plasma TG concentrations in response to EPA plus DHA supplementation (11).…”

Effet sur le développement mammaire et analyse phytochimique de deux plantes lactogènes de la pharmacopée traditionnelle ivoirienne : <i>Euphorbia hirta</i> L. et <i>Secamone afzelii</i> (Roem. &Schult.)

“…Il présente les atouts d'un aliment complet, équilibré et économique (Jakaitis et al, 2014 ;Richard et al, 2016).…”

International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids 2018 Symposium: Arachidonic and Docosahexaenoic Acids in Infant Development

“…Clinical studies demonstrate that consuming formula with DHA and ARA contributes to the development of a more mature immune system [58,59], improves immune responses to dietary allergens [60], may reduce the risk of allergic diseases in the first year of life [61], and may reduce the risk of upper respiratory infections and diarrhea [33,62].…”