Table 3.
Plasma levels of various biomarkers in pregnant women with varying purchases of food of organic v. conventional origin, KOALA Birth Cohort Study, The Netherlands, 2000–2002 (n 1339)
| Conventional (reference) (n 767) | <50 % organic (n 441) | 50–90 % organic (n 73) | >90 % organic (n 58) | Trend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomarker | Mean | sd | B | 95 % CI | B | 95 % CI | B | 95 % CI | P |
| TAG (mmol/l) | |||||||||
| Crude | 3·20 | 1·011 | −0·114 | −0·232, 0·003 | −0·126 | −0·366, 0·114 | −0·064 | −0·333, 0·205 | 0·125 |
| Adjusted | −0·108 | −0·226, 0·011 | −0·132 | −0·374, 0·110 | −0·087 | −0·358, 0·185 | 0·111 | ||
| Total cholesterol (mmol/l) | |||||||||
| Crude | 6·97 | 1·307 | 0·016 | −0·142, 0·173 | 0·158 | −0·165, 0·481 | 0·349 | −0·010, 0·709 | 0·074 |
| Adjusted | 0·002 | −0·157, 0·161 | 0·138 | −0·188, 0·465 | 0·319 | −0·045, 0·682 | 0·128 | ||
| HDL cholesterol (mmol/l) | |||||||||
| Crude | 1·76 | 0·446 | −0·038 | −0·090, 0·013 | −0·042 | −0·147, 0·064 | −0·046 | −0·163, 0·072 | 0·152 |
| Adjusted | −0·044 | −0·143, 0·087 | −0·076 | −0·312, 0·120 | −0·043 | −0·220, 0·306 | 0·100 | ||
| LDL cholesterol (mmol/l) | |||||||||
| Crude | 3·76 | 1·229 | 0·108 | −0·041, 0·257 | 0·255 | −0·050, 0·559 | 0·412 | 0·071, 0·753 | 0·004 |
| Adjusted | 0·098 | −0·052, 0·248 | 0·236 | −0·071, 0·543 | 0·404 | 0·059, 0·749 | 0·007 ‡ | ||
| 15:0 (pentadecanoic acid; wt%)† | |||||||||
| Crude | 0·25 | 0·056 | 0·035 | 0·028, 0·042 | 0·055 | 0·040, 0·069 | 0·046 | 0·030, 0·062 | <0·001 |
| Adjusted | 0·033 | 0·026, 0·040 | 0·050 | 0·035, 0·064 | 0·039 | 0·023, 0·055 | <0·001 | ||
| 18:1n-9,cis (OA; wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 9·38 | 1·073 | 0·104 | −0·022, 0·230 | −0·262 | −0·521, −0·004 | 0·021 | −0·266, 0·309 | 0·880 |
| Adjusted | 0·121 | −0·006, 0·247 | −0·217 | −0·478, 0·043 | 0·058 | −0·232, 0·348 | 0·782 | ||
| 18:1n-9,trans (EA; wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 0·404 | 0·2539 | −0·051 | −0·077, −0·026 | −0·066 | −0·118, −0·014 | −0·100 | −0·158, −0·043 | <0·001 |
| Adjusted | −0·045 | −0·070, −0·019 | −0·051 | −0·103, 0·002 | −0·081 | −0·139, −0·023 | <0·001 ‡ | ||
| 18:1n-7,trans (VA; wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 0·185 | 0·0630 | 0·007 | −0·001, 0·015 | 0·026 | 0·010, 0·043 | 0·037 | 0·019, 0·055 | <0·001 |
| Adjusted | 0·004 | −0·004, 0·011 | 0·022 | 0·007, 0·038 | 0·031 | 0·013, 0·048 | <0·001 | ||
| 18:2n-6,cis (LA; wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 20·84 | 2·210 | 0·219 | −0·047, 0·485 | 1·027 | 0·483, 1·572 | 0·746 | 0·140, 1·351 | <0·001 |
| Adjusted | 0·186 | −0·080, 0·452 | 0·926 | 0·381, 1·476 | 0·695 | 0·086, 1·305 | 0·001 ‡ | ||
| 18:2n-7,trans,n-9,cis (RA; wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 0·034 | 0·0229 | 0·006 | 0·003, 0·009 | 0·003 | −0·003, 0·009 | 0·005 | −0·002, 0·012 | 0·006 |
| Adjusted | 0·006 | 0·003, 0·009 | 0·003 | −0·003, 0·009 | 0·006 | −0·001, 0·013 | 0·001 ‡ | ||
| 18:3n-3 (ALA; wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 0·280 | 0·0872 | −0·002 | −0·013, 0·008 | −0·017 | −0·038, 0·004 | −0·029 | −0·052, −0·005 | 0·014 |
| Adjusted | −0·001 | −0·012, 0·009 | −0·016 | −0·035, 0·008 | −0·027 | −0·051, −0·003 | 0·035 ‡ | ||
| 20:3n-6 (wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 3·41 | 0·587 | 0·006 | −0·063, 0·075 | 0·009 | −0·133, 0·150 | −0·009 | −0·167, 0·148 | 0·965 |
| Adjusted | 0·016 | −0·053, 0·086 | 0·034 | −0·109, 0·177 | 0·015 | −0·144, 0·179 | 0·612 | ||
| 20:4n-6 (AA; wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 7·72 | 1·275 | −0·409 | −0·557, −0·262 | −0·565 | −0·867, −0·262 | −0·387 | −0·723, −0·051 | <0·001 |
| Adjusted | −0·405 | −0·553, −0·257 | −0·573 | −0·877, −0·270 | −0·340 | −0·678, −0·002 | <0·001 ‡ | ||
| 20:5n-3 (EPA; wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 0·424 | 0·2764 | 0·010 | −0·024, 0·044 | 0·009 | −0·061, 0·078 | −0·006 | −0·083, 0·071 | 0·811 |
| Adjusted | 0·006 | −0·028, 0·040 | 0·005 | −0·065, 0·074 | −0·025 | −0·102, 0·053 | 0·832 | ||
| 22:4n-6 (wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 0·390 | 0·0966 | 0·003 | −0·009, 0·014 | −0·005 | −0·029, 0·018 | <0·001 | −0·026, 0·026 | 0·987 |
| Adjusted | 0·005 | −0·007, 0·016 | −0·001 | −0·025, 0·022 | 0·008 | −0·018, 0·037 | 0·486 | ||
| 22:5n-3 (wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 0·535 | 0·1204 | −0·002 | −0·017, 0·014 | −0·022 | −0·054, 0·009 | −0·020 | −0·055, 0·015 | 0·143 |
| Adjusted | −0·002 | −0·017, 0·013 | −0·021 | −0·053, 0·010 | −0·025 | −0·060, 0·010 | 0·110 | ||
| 22:6n-3 (DHA; wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 3·91 | 0·837 | −0·068 | −0·169, 0·033 | −0·141 | −0·348, 0·065 | −0·104 | −0·334, 0·126 | 0·086 |
| Adjusted | −0·079 | −0·179, 0·021 | −0·146 | −0·351, 0·059 | −0·173 | −0·401, 0·053 | 0·027 | ||
| 18:1 n-9,trans:18:1n-7,trans (EA:VA; wt%/wt%)* | |||||||||
| Crude | 2·30 | 1·318 | −0·23 | −0·400, −0·064 | −0·52 | −0·860, −0·170 | −0·66 | −1·039, −0·272 | <0·001 |
| Adjusted | −0·15 | −0·321, 0·013 | −0·37 | −0·716, −0·031 | −0·49 | −0·866, −0·103 | 0·001 ‡ | ||
| Ferritin† (ln, ng/ml) | |||||||||
| Crude | 2·37 | 0·966 | −0·016 | −0·131, 0·100 | −0·088 | −0·321, 0·151 | 0·087 | −0·176, 0·350 | 0·999 |
| Adjusted | −0·028 | −0·143, 0·087 | −0·076 | −0·312, 0·160 | 0·043 | −0·220, 0·306 | 0·804 | ||
| Homocysteine (µmol/l) | |||||||||
| Crude | 9·35 | 3·791 | −0·465 | −0·902, −0·028 | −1·086 | −1·981, −0·190 | −0·763 | −1·759, 0·232 | 0·004 |
| Adjusted | −0·267 | −0·706, −0·173 | −0·843 | −1·740, −0·055 | −0·454 | −1·453, 0·545 | 0·064 | ||
| 25(OH)D (nmol/l) | |||||||||
| Crude | 44·4 | 18·15 | −0·370 | −2·502, 1·762 | −5·233 | −9·599, −0·868 | −4·331 | −9·185, 0·522 | 0·019 |
| Adjusted | −0·140 | −3·266, 0·465 | −4·638 | −8·457, −0·818 | −6·433 | −10·681, −2·185 | <0·001 | ||
OA, oleic acid; EA, elaidic acid; VA, vaccenic acid; LA, linoleic acid; RA, rumenic acid; ALA α-linolenic acid; AA, arachidonic acid; 25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; CLA, conjugated linoleic acids (18:2 conjugated isomers).
Data are presented as mean and sd in the conventional (reference) group and as mean difference values and 95 % CI in the three organic groups. Fatty acids are expressed as percentage of total blood fatty acids. Significant results (P<0·05 or CI not including the null value, which is equivalent to P<0·05) are shown in bold font.
Unadjusted values are crude B; adjusted values controlled for the following covariates. Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and TAG: maternal age, parity (numerical), alcohol consumption (numerical) and smoking (numerical). Single fatty acids (except VA, CLA and EA:VA), homocysteine and vitamin E: maternal age and parity (numerical); since only a few participants took fatty acids supplements (n 7 in the conventional group, n 6 in the <50 % organic and n 1 in the >90 % organic group), these were not considered as covariates. Ferritin (logarithmic): maternal age, parity (numerical) and Fe supplements (as dummies). Homocysteine: maternal age, parity (numerical) and vitamin B12 supplements. 25(OH)D: maternal age, parity (numerical), season (as dummies) and vitamin D supplements (as dummies). Ruminant fatty acids (VA, CLA and EA:VA): maternal age, parity (numerical) and season (as dummies).
Data were missing as follows. For conventional group: total cholesterol and homocysteine, n 1; 25(OH)D, n 2; HDL cholesterol, n 3; TAG, n 4; RA, n 90. For <50 % organic group: 25(OH)D and TAG, n 1; RA, n 45. For 50–90 % organic group, n 5. For >90 % organic group: RA, n 6.
Weight percentage of total fatty acids in plasma phospholipids.
Ferritin concentration in the conventional (reference) group was 15·9 (sd 17·85) ng/ml. Since this variable had a markedly skewed distribution, the natural logarithm was calculated and shown in the table.
Lost significance when healthy diet indicators were added to the adjusted model.