(P19-018-24) The Impact of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Consumption on Adults With Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Objectives: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been shown to have potential health benefits in chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, fatty liver, and various gastrointestinal disorders. However, PUFA are also prone to oxidation, leading to the formation of harmful by-products, including reactive carbonyl compounds (RCCs), which may disrupt gastrointestinal homeostasis. This study aims to investigate the impact of PUFA intake on adults with gastrointestinal symptoms.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset from 2007 to 2016. PUFA intake from foods and supplements was estimated from two non-consecutive 24-hour diet recalls. The study assessed the association between PUFA intake and gastrointestinal conditions involving vomiting or diarrhea within 30 days, while controlling for various covariates including age, gender, race, education level, body mass index, Family PIR, diabetes, hypertension, and alcohol consumption. Participants with missing or invalid data were excluded from the analysis. The data was analyzed using weighted linear regression tests and univariate and multivariate weighted logistic regression models, with participants divided into quartiles based on PUFA intake.

Results: This study included 10,027 individuals, among whom 852 reported gastrointestinal symptoms and 9,175 were asymptomatic. The weighted linear regression test indicated a significant association between PUFA intake and gastrointestinal symptoms (p < 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed higher odds of gastrointestinal symptoms with increased PUFA intake from foods(OR: 0.936, 95%CI: 0.879 -0.997, P =0.041). The highest quartile of PUFA was associated with a greater proportion of individuals experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms compared to the lowest quartile. Subgroup nalyses indicated a stronger association between polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and the risk of gastrointestinal symptoms in the highest quartile among women.

Conclusions: Higher intake of PUFA was found to be positively associated with an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal symptoms. The observed associations are biologically plausible, and further validation through large-scale prospective studies is warranted. These findings have potential implications for physicians to consider dietary modifications as part of patient treatment, and for affected individuals to adjust their dietary habits to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms.

Funding Sources: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grantnumber: 81830115).