Polyunsaturated fatty acids consumption in lactating women in France: The INCA 2 study and evolution of essential fatty acids composition in breast milk from 1997 to 2014

Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition data of the breast milk are rare but essential for assessing the adequate intake of fatty acids in the newborn and possibly directing the mother to a suitable diet or even supplementation with essential fatty acids. The raw data for lactating women from the national study on individual food consumption 2006-2007 (INCA 2) were combined with the French food composition table (Ciqual 2013) to assess their fatty acid intakes. Although this is a limited number of subjects, these data are still interesting to analyze and compare with current Anses recommendations. According to these results, omega 3 PUFA consumption is not sufficient for the purposes of the Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDI). In addition, it has been shown that the fatty acid composition of breast milk is a proven marker of dietary lipid consumption and a good reflection of the consumption's level of omega-6 and omega-3 PUFAs. Epidemiological data on quantity and quality of lipids consumed in France are rare. In the context of different observational and interventional studies conducted on breast milk, ITERG has been able to estimate the evolution of French food habits for nearly 17 years. A synthesis work has taken over all the data acquired during 3 clinical studies carried out between 1997 and 2014. This synthesis showed a positive evolution of the proportions in omega-3 PUFA in 17 years (1997-2014). However, the proportions of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in breast milk remain below nutritional recommendations for the newborn.