Brenna J Thomas, Akomo Peter, Bahwere Paluku, Berkley James A, Calder Philip C, Jones Kelsey D, Liu Lei, Manary Mark, Trehan Indi, Briend André
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Savage Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
Valid Nutrition, Cuibín Farm, Derry Duff, Bantry Co., Cork, Republic of Ireland.
BMC Med. 2015 May 15;13:117. doi: 10.1186/s12916-015-0352-1.
Ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs) are a key component of a life-saving treatment for young children who present with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition in resource limited settings. Increasing recognition of the role of balanced dietary omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in neurocognitive and immune development led two independent groups to evaluate RUTFs. Jones et al. (BMC Med 13:93, 2015), in a study in BMC Medicine, and Hsieh et al. (J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2015), in a study in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, reformulated RUTFs with altered PUFA content and looked at the effects on circulating omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status as a measure of overall omega-3 status. Supplemental oral administration of omega-3 DHA or reduction of RUTF omega-6 linoleic acid using high oleic peanuts improved DHA status, whereas increasing omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid in RUTF did not. The results of these two small studies are consistent with well-established effects in animal studies and highlight the need for basic and operational research to improve fat composition in support of omega-3-specific development in young children as RUTF use expands.
即用型治疗性食品（RUTFs）是在资源有限环境中对患有单纯性重度急性营养不良的幼儿进行挽救生命治疗的关键组成部分。人们越来越认识到均衡饮食中的ω-6和ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFA）在神经认知和免疫发育中的作用，这促使两个独立的研究小组对RUTFs进行评估。琼斯等人（《BMC医学》，2015年，第13卷：93页）在《BMC医学》上发表的一项研究中，以及谢等人（《儿科胃肠病学与营养杂志》，2015年）在《儿科胃肠病学与营养杂志》上发表的一项研究中，重新配制了PUFA含量改变的RUTFs，并观察其对循环中的ω-3二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）水平的影响，以此作为整体ω-3水平的衡量指标。口服补充ω-3 DHA或使用高油酸花生降低RUTF中的ω-6亚油酸可改善DHA水平，而在RUTF中增加ω-3α-亚麻酸则没有效果。这两项小型研究的结果与动物研究中已确立的效应一致，并突出表明，随着RUTF使用范围的扩大，需要开展基础研究和应用研究来改善脂肪成分，以支持幼儿的ω-3特异性发育。
