URQSUK: An integrated research program on arctic marine fat and lipids

The Urqsuk program is designed to better understand the nature, health and cultural importance of fats in the Canadian Arctic. A number of Inuit communities are reporting: changes in environmental conditions and changes in animal health and well-being; changes in such things as animal body condition including the nature of fat in these species; changes in individual attitudes among segments of the population towards both traditional (marine) fats and contemporary fats contained in market food items and the influence of these perspectives on diet and other behaviours. As well, the scientific literature reports changes in Arctic marine food webs related to changes in environmental conditions, which are influencing predator fatty acid signatures. Further, changes in lifestyle and dietary patterns have been observed among Inuit populations in recent decades. The gradual abandonment of aspects of a traditional lifestyle and diet has been linked to the increased prevalence of heart disease risk factors among the Inuit population such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The specific objectives of the Urqsuk program are: to ascertain fatty acids profiles among Inuit populations (sub-project 1); to identify the main dietary sources of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs) and assess the relationship between dietary source and blood levels of n-3 LC PUFAs (sub-project 1); to investigate if n-3PUFAs from a traditional diet of marine mammals and fish have a protective effect on coronary heart disease risk factors (blood lipids, inflammatory markers) (sub-project 1); to investigate if fatty acids from a traditional diet of marine mammals and fish protect against cardiac variability, a predictor of heart disease (sub-project 2); to investigate if fatty acids protect against atherosclerosis. (sub-project 3); to evaluate if trans fats increase the risk of atherosclerosis. (sub-project 3); to investigate if omega-3 fatty acids can prevent psychological distress. (sub-project 4); to investigate the changing knowledge of and perspectives on traditional and contemporary fats and the impacts that these perspectives may have on diet behaviour (sub-project 5); to identify sources and pathways of fatty acids in the marine food chain to understand their influence on species that compose the Inuit diet (sub-project 5).Urqsuk项目旨在更深入地认知加拿大北极地区脂肪的本质、健康价值与文化意义。诸多因纽特社区报告称：当地环境条件发生改变，动物健康与生存状态出现异常；动物体况出现变化，包括这些物种体内脂肪的特性发生改变；人群各亚群对传统（海洋源）脂肪以及市售食品中所含现代脂肪的态度出现转变，且此类观念会对饮食及其他行为产生影响。此外，科学文献显示，北极海洋食物网因环境条件变化而发生改变，这正影响着捕食者的脂肪酸特征谱。近几十年来，因纽特人群的生活方式与饮食模式已出现显著变化。传统生活方式与饮食的逐步摒弃，与因纽特人群中冠心病（coronary heart disease）风险因素（如肥胖、高血压、糖尿病）的患病率上升存在关联。Urqsuk项目的具体目标如下：1. 探明因纽特人群的脂肪酸谱（子项目1）；2. 明确n-3长链多不饱和脂肪酸（n-3 LC-PUFAs）的主要膳食来源，并评估膳食来源与血液n-3 LC-PUFAs水平之间的关联（子项目1）；3. 探究海洋哺乳动物与鱼类构成的传统饮食来源的n-3多不饱和脂肪酸是否对冠心病风险因素（血液脂质、炎症标志物）具有保护作用（子项目1）；4. 探究海洋哺乳动物与鱼类构成的传统饮食来源的脂肪酸是否能预防心脏变异性异常——这是心脏病的一项预测指标（子项目2）；5. 探究脂肪酸是否能预防动脉粥样硬化（atherosclerosis）（子项目3）；6. 评估反式脂肪（trans fats）是否会增加动脉粥样硬化的发病风险（子项目3）；7. 探究ω-3脂肪酸（omega-3 fatty acids）是否能够预防心理困扰（子项目4）；8. 调研人群对传统与现代脂肪的认知与观念变化，以及这些观念可能对饮食行为产生的影响（子项目5）；9. 明确海洋食物链中脂肪酸的来源与传递路径，以解析其对构成因纽特人饮食的物种的影响（子项目5）。