Effect of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on plasma total and high-molecular-weight adiponectin concentrations in overweight to moderately obese men and women.

Description

The objective of this study by Kratz et al. was to determine whether plasma adiponectin concentrations are altered in overweight-to-moderately obese individuals following consumption of a diet enriched in long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The authors measured total high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin levels in 16 women and 10 men with a body mass index between 28 and 33 who were randomly assigned to consume a diet rich in n-3 PUFAs (3.5% of energy intake) from both plant and marine sources or a control diet (0.5% of energy intake from n-3 PUFAs). Both diets were consumed under isocaloric conditions during the first 2 weeks and were then consumed at libidum during an additional period of 12 weeks, which produced a moderate loss of about 3.5% of body weight in both groups. Results of this dietary intervention indicated that neither total nor HMW adiponectin levels differed significantly in any way between subjects consuming the n-3 PUFAs enriched diet and control subjects consuming a diet with low n-3 PUFAs content. As expected, weight loss observed after the 12 week period was associated with increased adiponectin levels in both groups. Although the study sample was rather small, it appears unlikely that increased adiponectin plays a role in the reported metabolic and cardiovascular effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.