Comparison of fatty acid composition of plasma lipid fractions in well-nourished Nigerian and German infants and toddlers.

The dietary intake of essential fatty acids is reflected by the plasma lipid composition. Only scanty data is available on the pattern of plasma fatty acids in young children and the influence of different environments. We analyzed the fatty acid composition of plasma sterolesters, triglycerides, and phospholipids in well-nourished-appearing children from Benin City, Nigeria (n = 8; aged 14.1 +/- 7.2 months) and Düsseldorf, FRG (n = 17; aged 15.2 +/- 5.1 months). The Nigerian group tended to have bigger proportions of the essential omega-6-fatty acids, linoleic acid, and its metabolites, and by far higher values for long-chain omega-3-fatty acids, which are considered to be protective against atherogenesis. The saturated and nonessential monoenoic fatty acids tended to be lower in the Nigerian children, and the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids was higher. We conclude that the quality of dietary fat in the German children was worse and may imply an increased risk for development of atherosclerosis.