N-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA) and probiotics are generally considered to induce health benefits. The objective was to investigate (1) the impact of
fish oil and/or probiotics on serum
fatty acids (sFA), (2) the interaction of sFA with low-grade
inflammation and (3) the relation of sFA to the onset of
gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Pregnant women with
overweight/
obesity were allocated into intervention groups with
fish oil + placebo, probiotics + placebo,
fish oil + probiotics or placebo + placebo in early pregnancy (
fish oil: 1·9 g DHA and 0·22 g EPA, probiotics: Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 420, 1010 CFU, each daily). Blood samples were collected in early (n 431) and late pregnancy (n 361) for analysis of
fatty acids in serum
phosphatidylcholine (PC),
cholesteryl esters (CE), TAG and
NEFA with GC and
high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and GlycA by immunoassay and NMR spectroscopy, respectively. GDM was diagnosed according to 2 h 75 g oral
glucose tolerance test. EPA in PC, CE and TAG and DHA in PC, CE, TAG and
NEFA were higher in
fish oil and
fish oil + probiotics groups compared with placebo. EPA in serum
NEFA was lower in women receiving probiotics compared with women not receiving. Low-grade
inflammation was inversely associated with n-3 LC-PUFA, which were related to an increased risk of GDM.
Fish oil and
fish oil + probiotics consumption increase serum n-3 LC-PUFA in pregnant women with
overweight/
obesity. Although these
fatty acids were inversely related to inflammatory markers, n-3 LC-PUFA were linked with an increased risk for GDM.