Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dietary alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has been associated with reduced risk of development of atherosclerosis. Adiponectin is a hormone specifically secreted by adipocytes and considered to have anti-atherogenic properties. AIM OF THE STUDY: We examined the effect of increased dietary intake of ALA on plasma concentration of adiponectin. METHODS: Thirty-five non-diabetic, dyslipidemic men, 38-71 years old, were randomly allocated to take either 15 ml of flaxseed oil rich in ALA (8.1 g/day; n = 18), or 15 ml of safflower oil per day, containing the equivalent n-6 fatty acid (11.2 g/day linoleic acid, LA; n = 17) (control group). The intervention period lasted for 12 weeks. RESULTS: Plasma levels of adiponectin did not change after the increase in dietary intake of ALA in the flaxseed oil supplementation group, compared to the control group. No changes in body mass index, serum lipid concentrations, LDL density, or plasma TNF-alpha were found in the flaxseed oil versus the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary ALA has no effect on plasma adiponectin concentration in dyslipidemic men.