The impact of fish oil and/or probiotics on serum fatty acids and the interaction with low-grade inflammation in pregnant women with overweight and obesity: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

<i>N</i>-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA) and probiotics are generally considered to induce health benefits. The objective was to investigate (1) the impact of fish oil and/or probiotics on serum fatty acids (sFA), (2) the interaction of sFA with low-grade inflammation and (3) the relation of sFA to the onset of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Pregnant women with overweight/obesity were allocated into intervention groups with fish oil + placebo, probiotics + placebo, fish oil + probiotics or placebo + placebo in early pregnancy (fish oil: 1·9 g DHA and 0·22 g EPA, probiotics: <i>Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus</i> HN001 and <i>Bifidobacterium animalis</i> ssp<i>. lactis</i> 420, 10¹⁰ CFU, each daily). Blood samples were collected in early (<i>n</i> 431) and late pregnancy (<i>n</i> 361) for analysis of fatty acids in serum phosphatidylcholine (PC), cholesteryl esters (CE), TAG and NEFA with GC and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and GlycA by immunoassay and NMR spectroscopy, respectively. GDM was diagnosed according to 2 h 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. EPA in PC, CE and TAG and DHA in PC, CE, TAG and NEFA were higher in fish oil and fish oil + probiotics groups compared with placebo. EPA in serum NEFA was lower in women receiving probiotics compared with women not receiving. Low-grade inflammation was inversely associated with <i>n</i>-3 LC-PUFA, which were related to an increased risk of GDM. Fish oil and fish oil + probiotics consumption increase serum <i>n</i>-3 LC-PUFA in pregnant women with overweight/obesity. Although these fatty acids were inversely related to inflammatory markers, <i>n</i>-3 LC-PUFA were linked with an increased risk for GDM.