Determination of the optimal ratio of linoleic acid to α-linolenic acid in infant formulas

The fatty acid composition of erythrocyte total lipids taken from a group of term infants 10 weeks after being fed a commercial infant formula with a high ratio of linoleic acid (18:2n-6) (LA) to α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) (ALA) (19:1; LA, 14%; ALA, 0.7%; group A, n=10) was compared with the fatty acid composition of erythrocytes from infants fed formulas that contained LA/ALA ratios reduced by either increasing ALA (4:1; LA, 13%; ALA, 3.3%; group B, n=11) or decreasing LA (3:1; LA, 3.5%; ALA, 1.1%; group C, n=8). Results were compared with those in an age-controlled group (n=9) of breast-fed infants. Decreasing the LA/ALA ratio increased n-3 C20 and C22 fatty acid incorporation (formula B=8.98%±0.65%; formula C=9.30%±0.95%) relative to formula A (5.97%±0.76%; p