Pages 511-512 in N. Murphy and A. Parkinson, eds. Circumpolar Health 2012: Circumpolar Health Comes Full Circle. Proceedings of the 15th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, August 5-10, 2012. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 2013;72 (Suppl 1):511-512
Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Scilifelab Uppsala, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala
University, Uppsala, Sweden
Source
Pages 511-512 in N. Murphy and A. Parkinson, eds. Circumpolar Health 2012: Circumpolar Health Comes Full Circle. Proceedings of the 15th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, August 5-10, 2012. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 2013;72 (Suppl 1):511-512
Omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are essential for the human brain. These can either be obtained directly from food, such as fish, or synthesized in the human body from precursors found in vegetable oils. We studied the FADSl and FADS2 genes, encoding the rate-limiting enzymes for fatty acid conversion, and identified 2 haplotypes (denoted as A and D) that differ substantially in their ability to synthesize LC-PUFAs. Haplotype D, which is more efficient in producing LCPUFAs, is found at very high frequencies in African populations, is less prevalent in Europe and Asia and is essentially absent in the Americas. The D haplotype might have provided an evolutionary advantage when access to dietary LC-PUFAs was limited. In the modern world, this haplotype acts as a thrifty genotype and is a risk factor for lifestyle-related diseases, such as coronary artery disease.