title: Branched-chain fatty acid composition of human milk and the impact of maternal diet: the Global Exploration of Human Milk (GEHM) Study.
abstract: An understudied component of the diet, branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) are distinctive saturated fatty acids that may have an important influence on health. Human-milk fatty acid composition is known to differ worldwide, but comparative data are lacking on BCFAs.
  
  
  
  We tested the hypotheses that concentrations of BCFAs in human milk differ between populations and are associated with maternal diet.
  
  
  
  We surveyed the BCFA composition of samples collected as part of a standardized, prospective study of human-milk composition. Mothers were enrolled from 3 urban populations with differing diets: Cincinnati, Ohio; Shanghai, China; and Mexico City, Mexico. Enrollment was limited to healthy mothers of term singleton infants. We undertook a cross-sectional analysis of milk from all women with samples at postpartum week 4 (n = 359; ∼120 women/site). Fatty acids were extracted from milk by using a modified Bligh-Dyer technique and analyzed by gas chromatography. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and Tobit regression. For Cincinnati mothers, 24-h diet recalls were analyzed in relation to the individual BCFA concentrations measured in milk samples.
  
  
  
  Total BCFAs in milk differed by site, with the highest concentration in Cincinnati followed by Mexico City and Shanghai (mean ± SE: 7.90 ± 0.41, 6.10 ± 0.36, and 4.27 ± 0.25 mg/100 mL, respectively; P < 0.001). Site differences persisted after delivery mode, maternal age, and body mass index were controlled for. The individual concentrations of iso-14:0, iso-16:0, iso-18:0, anteiso-15:0, and anteiso-17:0 also differed between sites. Milk concentrations of iso-14:0 and anteiso-15:0 were associated with maternal intake of dairy; iso-16:0 was associated with maternal intakes of dairy and beef.
  
  
  
  BCFA concentrations in milk at 4 wk postpartum differed between mothers from Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Mexico City. Variations in human-milk BCFAs are influenced by diet. The impact of BCFAs on infant health warrants investigation.
authors.affiliation: The Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dingess
authors.affiliation: The Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; christina.valentine@mjn.com.|Mead Johnson Nutrition Inc., Evansville, IN; Divisions of.
authors.forename: Christina J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Valentine
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Ollberding
authors.affiliation: The Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: Barbara S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics, University of Cincinnati, and.
authors.forename: Jessica G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Clinical Translational Research Center, Cincinnati Children's, Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Summer
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yongmei M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Mexico City, Mexico; and.
authors.forename: M Lourdes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Mexico City, Mexico; and.
authors.forename: Guillermo M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Palacios
authors.affiliation: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
authors.forename: Rinat R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Ran-Ressler
authors.affiliation: Mead Johnson Nutrition Inc., Evansville, IN; Divisions of.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.affiliation: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
authors.forename: J Thomas
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Brenna
authors.affiliation: The Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: Ardythe L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Morrow
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003611:Dairy Products; D004032:Diet; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D008800:Mexico; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009820:Ohio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids
keywords: branched-chain fatty acids; fatty acids; human milk; lactation; maternal diet