Fatty acid profiles among the Inuit of Nunavik: Current status and temporal change Françoise Proust a , Michel Lucas a,b , Éric Dewailly a,b,n a Axe Santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Centre de recherche du CHU (Centre hospitalier universitaire) de Québec, Québec (Québec) Canada b Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval, Québec (Québec) Canada article info Article history: Received 24 April 2013 Received in revised form 29 January 2014 Accepted 5 February 2014 Keywords: Fish Marine mammals Omega-3 fatty acids Polyunsaturated fatty acids Nutritional transition Inuit abstract The Inuit undergo substantial changes in their lifestyle, but few data exist on how these changes occur in biomarkers, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Here, we report data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2004 among 861 representative Nunavik Inuit adults, in whom FAs were measured in red blood cells (RBCs). FAs were also measured in plasma phospholipids (n ¼452) to assess temporal trend by comparing plasma PUFAs measured in 1992. Food intakes were estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. In 2004, marine food intake was 84 74 g/d ( 7SEM). Adjusted-mean of RBC omega-3 was significantly higher, and omega-6 lower, in older age groups (P trend o0.001). In 2004, plasma omega-3 was 25% lower, while omega-6 was 9% higher, compared to 1992. Our study revealed that Nunavik Inuit adults still have high RBC omega-3, but show signs of nutritional transition – as indicated by lower omega-3 and higher trans-fats in RBCs of young compared to older. & 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Traditional foods are an important component of the diet of northern populations, providing significant nutritional as well as cultural, social, economic, and spiritual benefits [1]. Inuit people have always relied on fish and wildlife for survival. The traditional Inuit diet is mainly composed of marine mammals (e.g. the white whale (beluga), seal and walrus), fish and caribou [2]. Fish and marine mammals are good sources of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3). Dyerberg et al. [3,4] were the first to establish the relation between dietary marine fats and low incidence of ischemic heart disease among the Greenland Inuit. Since then, many epidemiological and clinical studies have noted the cardiovascular benefits of fish and n-3 PUFA intake [5–10]. The rapid modernization of Nunavik society in the past 50 years is essentially due to easier transportation of food and other commodities to the north and population settlement [11]. However, easier access to market foods, new technologies and motorized recreational vehicles has substantially changed the diet and lifestyle of the Nunavik Inuit. Before the first colonial contacts in the Canadian Arctic, traditional foods were the only available dietary sources but represented only 28% of total energy intake among Canadian Inuit in 1999 [12] and 21% among adult Nunavik Inuit in 1992 [13]. In some Arctic areas, dietary fat intake of market foods exceeds fat intake from traditional sources [14]. This shift from a traditional diet to Western patterns based on market food availability characterizes the rapid nutritional transition that the Nunavik Inuit are currently undergoing. Departure from a tradi- tional diet and lifestyle has been associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (e.g. obesity, type 2 dia- betes, high blood pressure) and the emergence of chronic dis- orders [15] in native peoples of North America [12,16–18]. In 1992, a first Health Survey was conducted to assess the global health profile of the Nunavik Inuit [13]. This extensive survey indicated that population health patterns were in transi- tion, reflecting major lifestyle changes [6] and pointing to the need for periodic monitoring of health outcomes. As a result, the Nunavik Inuit Health Survey “Qanuippitaa? How are we?” was conducted in 2004 to monitor changes in health status, including diet, lifestyle and risk factors. The main objective of our study was to ascertain traditional marine food consumption and fatty acid (FA) profiles of the Nunavik Inuit. We also assessed Contents lists available at ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/plefa Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2014.02.001 0952-3278 & 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. n Corresponding author at: Axe Santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Centre de recherche du CHU (Centre hospitalier universitaire) de Québec, Delta Building #2 – Office 600, 2875 Laurier Blvd., 6th Floor, Québec (Québec) Canada G1V 2M2. Tel.: þ1 418 525 4444x46518; fax: þ1 418 654 2726. E-mail address: eric.dewailly@crchul.ulaval.ca (É. Dewailly). Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids 90 (2014) 159–167