OLIVE OILS AND HEALTH 54 fatty acid profile of atopic children and those with high consumption of trans fatty acids is very similar. Trans fatty acids are habitual constituents of the western diet, and the fact they can play a role in asthma and allergies during adolescence is under scrutiny by Public Health Institutions. Further research is needed. 2.4. Effects of trans fatty acids at the perinatal stage In 1992, Berthold Koletzko, a German paediatrician, reported a negative relationship between weight at birth and trans fatty acids in breast milk. The higher the level of trans fatty acids in breast milk the lower the birth weight. This finding prompted research into the possible mechanisms involved and the role of trans fatty acids in different stages of development. In a Canadian study with women at week 35 of pregnancy, plasma trans fatty acids were inversely related to plasma arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. Similar results were obtained in our research with animal models. AA is involved in children’s growth and DHA in neurodevelopment. In pregnant mothers, trans fatty acids could impair the hepatic fatty acid desaturases, thus reducing the levels of long-chain polyunsaturated acids in neonates and impairing their growth (Figure 2.6) Figure 2.5. Effect of a diet with high levels of saturated fats and trans isomers and low levels of essential fatty acids on obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidaemia. PPAR-α: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha; PPAR-γ: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma; EFA: Essential fatty acids. From: Gil A. Tratado de Nutrición. 4ª Ed. Ed. Médica Panamericana, Madrid, 2024. (Permission granted). Saturated fatty acids Trans isomers EFA ω-6 and ω-3 PPAR-α Mitochondrial β-Oxidation PPAR-α Peroxisoma β-Oxidation PPAR-γ Adipogenesis EFA in phospholipids Changes in receptors and enzymes response Obesity Type 2 Diabetes Dyslipidaemia I N S U L I N R E S I S T A N C E
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