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Effects of flaxseed supplementation on erythrocyte fatty acids and multiple cardiometabolic biomarkers among Chinese with risk factors of metabolic syndrome

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Abstract

Purpose

We investigated effects of ground whole flaxseed supplementation on erythrocyte polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and serum biomarkers of inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and thrombosis in Chinese with risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods

This study was a secondary analysis of a 12-week, randomized, parallel-group trial in participants screened for MetS. The analysis included only those with 2 or more components of MetS before receiving either lifestyle counseling (LC, n = 90) or LC + 30 g/day flaxseed supplementation (LCF, n = 83).

Results

Compared to the LC group, those in the LCF group experienced significant increases in total erythrocyte n-3 PUFAs, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentenoic acid, and docosapentenoic acid (all P < 0.001), while total n-6 PUFAs (P < 0.05) and n-6/n-3 ratio decreased (P < 0.001). Arachidonic acid increased significantly in the LC group (P < 0.001), and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-18, soluble intracellular adhesion molecular-1, E-selectin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 declined significantly in both groups (all P < 0.05), but no between-group differences were observed. There was no significant change in serum interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, soluble vascular adhesion molecular-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and oxidized low-density lipoprotein in either group.

Conclusions

These data suggest that flaxseed supplementation increases erythrocyte n-3 PUFAs, decreases n-6 PUFAs and n-6/n-3 ratio in participants with risk factors of MetS, but has no additional benefits beyond the lifestyle consulting for the multiple biomarkers tested in the current study.

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Abbreviations

ALA:

α-Linolenic acid

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acid

MetS:

Metabolic syndrome

LC:

Lifestyle counseling

LCF:

LC + 30 g/day flaxseed

FAME:

Fatty acid methyl ester

hsCRP:

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein

IL-6:

Interluekin-6

TNF-α:

Tumor necrosis factor-α

MCP-1:

Monocyte chemotactic protein-1

sICAM-1:

Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1

sVCAM-1:

Soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1

PAI-1:

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1

ox-LDL:

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein

IL-18:

Interleukin-18

EPA:

Eicosapentenoic acid

DHA:

Docosahexenoic acid

DPA:

Docosapentenoic acid

LA:

Linoleic acid

AA:

Arachidonic acid

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30930081 and 81021002), the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2011CB504002) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KSCX2-EW-R-10). The authors’ responsibilities were as follows: H.W. and X.L. were involved in the study design; G.Z. and H.W. were in charge of participant management; G.Z., H.W, and X.L. took part in the data collection; G.Z completed the data analysis and drafted the initial manuscript, with help from H.W. W.D-W and X.L for interpretation of the findings. All authors were responsible for critical revisions and final approval of the manuscript. All authors declared no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 294 Tai-Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200031, China

    Geng Zong & Xu Lin

  2. Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1675 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA

    Wendy Demark-Wahnefried

  3. Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Hongyu Wu

Authors
  1. Geng Zong
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  2. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried
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  3. Hongyu Wu
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  4. Xu Lin
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Correspondence to Xu Lin.

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Zong, G., Demark-Wahnefried, W., Wu, H. et al. Effects of flaxseed supplementation on erythrocyte fatty acids and multiple cardiometabolic biomarkers among Chinese with risk factors of metabolic syndrome. Eur J Nutr 52, 1547–1551 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-012-0461-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-012-0461-y

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