Macro partitioning
Continuous administration of fat-free, eucaloric diets (via intravenous or nasogastric routes) induces biochemical essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency in healthy adult humans within 2 weeks, characterized by decreased linoleic acid and appearance of eicosatrienoic acid in plasma lipids.
If you are receiving intravenous nutrition or a strictly fat-free diet for an extended period, you are at high risk for essential fatty acid deficiency. Medical protocols should include periodic fat emulsions or intermittent feeding to mobilize body stores and prevent biochemical deficiency, even if clinical symptoms like dermatitis are not immediately visible.
These results indicated that EFA deficiency readily develops when fat-free diets containing glucose are given intravenously or orally as constant 24-h infusions.
Why this rating
Controlled clinical trials in healthy human subjects with rigorous biochemical analysis.
Source
The development of essential fatty acid deficiency in healthy men fed fat-free diets intravenously and orally.
Jamie Dollahite Wene et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 1975
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