1. Introduction
CVDs
BLOOD, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
These authors contributed equally to this work.This study aimed to investigate the impact of influencing factors (sex, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) status at baseline, linoleic acid (LA) intake, milk fat intake) on the conversion of α-linolenic acid (ALA) obtained from linseed oil into its long-chain metabolites. In addition, the effect of ALA on cardiovascular risk markers was investigated. This study used a parallel design approach by randomly assigning the 134 subjects to one of four diets (high in LA (HLA); low in LA (LLA); high in milk fat (MF); control (Western diet)) each enriched with linseed oil (10 en%, 22–27 mL ≙ 13–16 g ALA). Blood samples were taken at baseline and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of dietary intervention. The study was fully completed by 105 subjects (57.4 ± 12.1 years; 65.7% female). Results showed that ALA (296–465%), C-20:4n3 (54–140%), and EPA (37–73%) concentrations in erythrocytes increased in all groups (Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the greatest threats to human health worldwide [The traditional Western diet in Germany is characterized by a high intake of energy, simple carbohydrates, and refined starch, as well as saturated fats, with an inadequate consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), PUFA, and dietary fiber [In general, the human organism can synthesize the long-chain metabolites EPA and DHA from ALA using elongases and desaturases. However, the conversion rate to EPA and DHA is limited to 8% and 0.02–4%, respectively [The present study aims to investigate the changes in the fatty acid distribution of erythrocyte lipids by evaluating the influence of simultaneous LA intake, milk fat intake, sex, and The influence of background diet on the conversion of ALA from linseed oil into the long-chain metabolites EPA and DHA was studied by implementation of defined menu plans (high in LA (HLA); low in LA (LLA); high in milk fat (MF)). The comparison was made against a control group who followed a typical Western diet. In addition to fatty acid distribution, the impact on cardiovascular risk factors was also investigated.