Evaluación de la aceptabilidad de dos aceites vegetales con diferentes niveles de ácido alfa-linolénico en embarazadas de la Región Metropolitana de Chile

Abstract

Polyunsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA), particularly docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 ω-3, DHA), are critical nutrients during pregnancy with a key role for visual and brain development. Fish, especially oily fi sh, is an excellent dietary source of DHA. However, its dietary consumption is low. Bioconversion from alpha-linolenic acid (C18: 3 ω-3, ALA) to DHA is a limited metabolic pathway in humans, however, it increases during fertility and pregnancy. The chia seed oil (Salvia hispanica) is a good vegetal source of ω-3 PUFA, containing a large proportion (60-65% of total fatty acids) as ALA. The aim of this study was to compare the acceptability of two different commercial oils: chia oil (63% ALA) and canola oil (10% ALA) in a group of Chilean pregnant women. A sample of 41 women was included. Each participant performed: a) an assessment of the acceptability of two commercial oils(hedonic scale), b) a dietary intake questionnaire and, c) a test of knowledge related to ω-3 PUFAs. Main results indicated that 57% of the participants properly recognized food sources of ω-3 PUFA, and 12.2% met their dietary requirements. The characteristics that had the highest scores were the appearance of chia oil and the taste of canola oil. However, there were no signifi cant differences between the overall acceptability of both evaluated oils. It is concluded that chia oil could be a new and useful alternative to increase dietary ALA intake in pregnant women.