Long-chain n-3 fatty acids in breast milk of Inuit women consuming traditional foods.

The fatty acid composition of mature breast milk total lipids was analysed in milk from Inuit women living in a small Arctic community. Long-chain n-3 fatty acids were higher than in comparable samples from Vancouver residents. The data suggest that secretion of n-3 fatty acids in milk is influenced by the dietary intake of the lactating woman. The levels of these fatty acids in Inuit milk approximate those reported for the diet fat of adult Eskimo, and which have been associated with reduced plasma cholesterol levels and death from coronary heart disease.