Effects of the flavonol quercetin and α-linolenic acid on n-3 PUFA status in metabolically healthy men and women: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial

What this study found

Adding quercetin to an alpha-linolenic acid regimen did not improve conversion to long-chain n-3 fatty acids or produce sex-specific effects. Daily alpha-linolenic acid increased serum phospholipid and erythrocyte ALA, EPA, and DPA, but not DHA. In serum phospholipids, ALA increased by 69.3% with placebo and 55.8% with quercetin, EPA increased by 37.3% and 25.5%, and DHA decreased by 9.3% with quercetin; the intergroup DHA difference was significant (P = 0.021), but no significant intergroup effects were observed overall. In erythrocytes, ALA increased by 48.6% and 45.8%, EPA increased by…

Study & population

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial in metabolically healthy men and women aged 19 to 35 years, recruited from a university setting in Germany.

Intervention

All participants received an oral alpha-linolenic acid regimen from rapeseed oil and rapeseed oil-based margarine for 8 weeks.

Key limitation

Short 8-week intervention periods and 7 dropouts limited precision, and only 67 participants had complete data.

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