Omega-3 Milk
摘要
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an important constituent in human breast milk. Omega-3 fatty acid (n-3 FA) plays an important role in infants’ post-birth development; omega-3 fatty acids are obtained from breast milk. Traditionally, cattle grazed in the field and got some omega-3 fatty acids from the green pastures. However, now, they are fed a defined diet solely for getting a high milk yield, which has resulted in a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids in milk. Various attempts have been made to fortify food products with omega-3 fatty acids. Fortification of food with n-3 FAs may offer an effective way of increasing omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 LC-PUFA) intakes. Recent data indicate that a blend of dairy lipids and omega-3 fatty acids from vegetarian oil can potentiate higher levels of n-3 LC-PUFA levels endogenously. Enriching cattle milk by feeding omega-3-rich cattle feed is also not straightforward. Biofortification is not possible and is met with a biological hurdle in the cattle, as they are ruminants. Several attempts have been made to fortify milk with omega-3 fatty acids or prepare omega-3-fortified formula milk for infants. Further, this chapter reviews the crucial role of omega-3 milk in human health, especially in the health of mother and child.