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Working with researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and theCincinnati Children's Hospital, anthropologists at UC Santa Barbarahave found high levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in thebreast milk of economically impoverished Amerindian woman ascompared to women in the United States. Their research appears inthe current issue of the journal Maternal and Child Nutrition. The study compared breast milk fatty acid composition in U.S. andTsimane women. The Tsimane live in Amazonian Bolivia, and eat adiet consisting primarily of locally grown staple crops, wild game,and freshwater fish. Samples of Tsimane mothers' milk containedsignificantly higher percentages of the omega-3 fatty aciddocosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is crucial for infant cognitiveand visual development. Additionally, the percentages of DHA in breast milk did notsignificantly decrease across the first two years postpartum, theperiod during which infant brains experience peak growth andmaximal uptake of DHA. This was also true for the U.S. women, andthe study suggests that extended breastfeeding by both U.S. andTsimane mothers may provide infants with a constant source of DHAduring the critical period of brain development. "The fatty acid composition of breast milk varies with the fattyacid composition of a mother's diet and fat stores. Ancestralhumans likely consumed omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in equalproportions," said Melanie Martin, a doctoral student in UCSB'sDepartment of Anthropology, and the study's lead researcher."Tsimane mothers' omega-6 to omega-3 ratios were four to one, muchcloser to the ancestral estimates than observed in U.S. women." Unfortunately, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in industrializeddiets varies from 10 to 1 to as high as 20 to 1. This is mostlikely due to the absence of fresh fish, and regular consumption ofprocessed foods and vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid (anomega-6), as well as trans fats. These high levels of omega-6 havebeen linked to increased risks of obesity , inflammation, and cardiovascular disease, and interfere with thesynthesis of DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids. "The Tsimane mothers' average milk DHA percentage was 400 percenthigher than that of the Cincinnati mothers, while their averagepercentages of linoleic and trans fatty acids were 84 percent and260 percent lower, respectively," said Martin. "Despite living ineconomically impoverished conditions, Tsimane mothers producebreast milk that has more balanced and potentially beneficial fattyacid composition as compared to milk from U.S. mothers." The study comes in the wake of the May 21 issue of Time magazine,which reignited debate over the appropriate age at which a childshould top nursing. "Buzz about the recent Time magazine covermissed the point," noted Steven Gaulin, professor of anthropologyat UCSB, and one of the study's co-authors. "The American diet iseroding one of the most important benefits breast milk can provide- fats that are critical to infant brain development. It's notsurprising that, among developed nations, American children arelast on international tests of math and science." The study's findings highlight important questions about infantformula, the fatty acid content of which is based on the breastmilk of U.S. mothers. "The study suggests that standards of fattyacid composition for infant formulas should be derived frompopulations such as the Tsimane," Martin explained. "Andnutritional recommendations for infants should account for theprolonged requirements of fatty acids that breast milk naturallyprovides." Additional References Citations. I am an expert from home-infraredsauna.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Carbon Fiber Infrared Sauna , China Home Infrared Sauna, Home Infrared Sauna,and more.
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