(13-10-14) Association between high dietary intake of the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid

Association between high dietary intake of the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid
docosahexaenoic acid and reduced risk of Crohn's disease.

Chan SS1, Luben R, Olsen A, Tjonneland A, Kaaks R, Lindgren S, Grip O,
Bergmann MM, Boeing H, Hallmans G, Karling P, Overvad K, Venø SK, van Schaik F,
Bueno-de-Mesquita B, Oldenburg B, Khaw KT, Riboli E, Hart AR.
Author information
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
There are plausible mechanisms for how dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an
n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, could prevent Crohn's disease (CD).
AIM:
To conduct a prospective study to investigate the association between
increased intake of DHA and risk of CD.
METHODS:
Overall, 229 702 participants were recruited from nine European centres
between 1991 and 1998. At recruitment, dietary intakes of DHA and fatty acids
were measured using validated food frequency questionnaires. The cohort was
monitored through to June 2004 to identify participants who developed incident
CD. In a nested case-control analysis, each case was matched with four
controls; odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for quintiles of DHA intake,
adjusted for total energy intake, smoking, other dietary fatty acids, dietary
vitamin D and body mass index.
RESULTS:
Seventy-three participants developed incident CD. All higher quintiles of DHA
intake were inversely associated with development of CD; the highest quintile
had the greatest effect size (OR = 0.07; 95% CI = 0.02-0.81). The OR trend
across quintiles of DHA was 0.54 (95% CI = 0.30-0.99, Ptrend = 0.04).
Including BMI in the multivariate analysis, due to its correlation with dietary
fat showed similar associations. There were no associations with the other
dietary fatty acids studied.
CONCLUSION:
There were inverse associations, with a biological gradient between increasing
dietary docosahexaenoic acid intakes and incident Crohn's disease. Further
studies in other populations should measure docosahexaenoic acid to determine
if the association is consistent and the hypothesis tested in randomised
controlled trials of purely docosahexaenoic acid supplementation.

Source: Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Apr;39(8):834-42. doi: 10.1111/apt.12670. Epub
2014 Feb 24.

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