Define effect of Fat on quality and quantity of human milk?
Fat content of milk appears to be subject to variability as compared to other constituents. The average fat content in milk from well-nourished mothers tends to be higher than milk from less well-nourished mothers. This may have implications for the caloric intake of the infant. Supplementing the mother with adequate intake of energy, protein and fat helped to increase the fat concentration in milk. Low levels of fat are apparently related to diet during lactation, inadequate energy intake in pregnancy and an inadequate amount of fat gain. The fatty acid composition of milk lipid is altered by the mother's diet, including the type and amount of dietary fat, total energy intake and carbohydrate intake.
When lactating women were fed a diet rich in PUFA, their milk also had a higher PUFA content. Providing mothers with fish oil supplements increased the 0-3 fatty acid in milk. When caloric intake is severely restricted, fatty acid composition resembles that of the depot fat. A substantial increase in the proportion of dietary Kcal s from carbohydrate results in an increase in the milk lauric and myristic acids. The proportion of medium chain fatty acids was observed to be 30-45% on a low fat diet. However, the total fat content was not significantly altered.