Lipid structure does not modify incorporation of EPA and DHA into blood lipids in healthy adults: a randomised control trial

Abstract

Dietary supplementation is an effective means to improve eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status. However, it is unclear whether lipid structure affects EPA+DHA bioavailability. We determined the effect of consuming different EPA and DHA lipid structures on their concentrations in blood during the postprandial period and during dietary supplementation compared to unmodified fish oil triglyceride (uTAG). In a postprandial crossover study, healthy men (n 9) consumed in random order test meals containing 1.1 g EPA + 0.37 g DHA as either uTAG, re-esterified TAG, free fatty acids (FFAs) or ethyl esters (EEs). In a parallel design supplementation study, healthy men and women (n 10/ sex/ supplement) consumed one supplement type for 12 weeks. Fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography. EPA incorporation over 6 hours into TAG or phosphatidylcholine (PC) did not differ between lipid structures. EPA enrichment in non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) was lower from EEs than from uTAG (P = 0.01). Plasma TAG, PC or NEFA DHA incorporation did not differ between lipid structures. Lipid structure did not affect TAG or NEFA EPA incorporation, and PC or NEFA DHA incorporation following dietary supplementation. Plasma TAG peak DHA incorporation was greater (P = 0.02) and time to peak shorter (P = 0.02) from FFAs than from uTAG in men. In both studies, the order of EPA and DHA incorporation was PC > TAG > NEFA. In conclusion, EPA and DHA lipid structure may not be an important consideration in dietary interventions

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Identifiers

ORCID for Graham Burdge: orcid.org/0000-0002-7665-2967

ORCID for Philip Calder: orcid.org/0000-0002-6038-710X

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