Body Fatty Acids, Nutrition, and Health: Is Skewness of Distributions a Mediator of Correlations?

Abstract

Fatty acids are important in nutrition and health. Previously, we reported that the concentration range per se may explain positive and negative correlations between percentages of fatty acids. We now present additional data to explain such correlations. With 3 positive scale variables, A, B, and C, dependency between their percentages is: %A + %B + %C = 100, or %B = - %A + (100 - %C), each variable with a particular range. The equation may be simplified by making the expression (100 - %C) approach zero (high %C, low %A and %B values), i.e. %B = %A (giving positive %A vs. %B), and by making %C approach zero, giving %B = - %A + 100 (giving negative %A vs. %B). In the current work we present data showing that skewness of the %A (B, C) histograms may serve as a mediator of correlations between %A and %B.