Omega-3 fatty acid supply from milk associates with lower type 2 diabetes in men and coronary heart disease in women

• Published in: Preventive Medicine
• Main Authors: Thorsdottir, Inga, Hill, Jeremy, Ramel, Alfons
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Academic Press 2007
• Subjects: Coronary Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Type 2; Fatty Acids; Omega-3; Milk; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/13595; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.02.031

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field BACKGROUND: Omega-3 fatty acids may prevent type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD). We investigated these fatty acids in Nordic cow's milk and whether their supply from milk associates with type 2 diabetes prevalence and CHD mortality in the Nordic countries. METHODS: Samples (N = 84) of consumers' milk were collected in five Nordic countries four times during 1 year. Fatty acids were analyzed using gas chromatography. Fatty acids supply from milk fat was calculated using national food balance sheets. RESULTS: The omega-3 fatty acids content was higher and omega-6 fatty acid content was lower in Icelandic milk when compared with milk from other Nordic countries. Type 2 diabetes prevalence in men correlated inversely with the supply of omega-3 fatty acids and eicosapentaenic acid, but positively with omega-6/omega-3 ratio in milk. CHD mortality in women correlated inversely with the supply of eicosapentaenic acid but positively with the omega-6/omega-3 ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Milk fatty acids content can depend upon the origin of the milk. The higher supply of omega-3 fatty acids from milk might explain the lower type 2 diabetes prevalence and CHD mortality in Iceland compared to the other Nordic countries.