Table 2: Serum fatty acid levels in obese subjects before and after nutritional intervention.

Variable Baseline
n = 48		 Final
n = 48		 – –
Mean ± SD Mean ± SD t Student p
% Fatty acid in blood
C:12:0* 0.08 ± 0.04 0.07 ± 0.04 1.88 0.059
C:14:0 1.0 ± 0.2 0.86 ± 0.2 2.84 0.007
C:16:0 21.2 ± 1.4 20.6 ± 1.4 3.30 0.002
C:16:1 (ω-9) 3.4 ± 0.7 3.1 ± 0.5 3.87 0.0003
C:18:0 7.5 ± 0.8 7.4 ± 0.8 1.28 0.20
C:18:1 (ω-9) 23.2 ± 1.8 23.6 ± 2.2 -1.25 0.21
C:18:2 (ω-6) 26.8 ± 2.8 27.4 ± 2.8 -1.60 0.12
C:18:3 (ω-3) 1.1 ± 0.2 1.1 ± 0.2 0.90 0.37
C:20:0 0.06 ± 0.02 0.07 ± 0.02 -1.81 0.08
C:20:1 (ω-9) 0.47 ± 0.1 0.49 ± 0.1 1.26 0.21
C:20:3 (ω-6) 2.1 ± 0.4 1.9 ± 0.4 1.44 0.15
C:20:4 (ω-6) 6.8 ± 1.2 6.9 ± 1.3 -1.31 0.15
C:20:5 (ω-3) 3.7 ± 2.9 3.9 ± 3 -1.89 0.066
C:22:6 (ω-3) 2.2 ± 0.6 2.3 ± 0.6 -1.81 0.076
SFA 29.9 ± 1.7 29 ± 1.8 3.55 0.001
MUFAs 27.2 ± 2.1 27.1 ± 1.9 0.18 0.86
PUFAs 43 ± 3 43.7 ± 3 -2.11 0.040
• ω-6 35.8 ± 3 36.3 ± 3 0.58 0.56
• ω-3 7.1 ± 2.8 7.3 ± 3.1 -0.944 0.35

SFA=Saturated fatty acids; MUFAs=Monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFAs=Polyunsaturated fatty acids, ω-3= Polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3; ω-6=Polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-6. Differences between groups were examined using the paired t- test. *logarithmic transformation.