Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Clinical Nutrition
Date of Award
5-2017
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
W. Andrew Clark
Committee Members
Eileen Cress, Ron Hamdy
Abstract
Many factors influence the nutrient composition of breast milk (BRM) particularly within the fatty acids composition. In this study BRM between 2-14 weeks of lactation was collected from 44 Caucasian women (24 normal weight (NW, BMI 18.5-24.9kg/m2) and 20 overweight (OW, BMI >25.0kg/m2). BRM was subjected to proximate analysis and participants completed food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) to estimate fruit, vegetable, and fat intake. BMI differed between NW and OW groups, 22.03 vs 33.86kg/m2 (p0.10) were identified for total calories (5,581.8 vs 5562.9cal/g), %fat (39.6 vs 43.9), or %protein (9.8 vs 8.9) for BRM in NW versus OW women as determined by proximal analysis. Gas chromatography of fatty acid methyl esters demonstrated NW BRM contained higher levels of omega-3, mono-unsaturated, and less palmitic acid fatty acids (p>0.10). The increased palmitic acid level seen in OW BRM may support increased de novo synthesis of fatty acids.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Kwon, Megan R., "Nutrient Content of Human Breast Milk from Overweight and Normal Weight Caucasian Women of Northeast Tennessee" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3192. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3192
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.