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DHA is an Omega 3 essential fatty acid involved in proper neuronal and retinal (eye) function. It has been found useful in children that may have been "diagnosed" as hyperactive, ADD, ADHD, etc.
It takes 10 grams of the essential fatty acid in flax seed oil (ALA) to make 1 gram of EPA and 10 grams of EPA would need to be converted to make 1 gram of DHA! ALA is a precursor to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docasahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which have been effective in the treatment of INFLAMATION.
SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND
ON DHA AND PREGNANCY/LACTATION
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acidis important throughout pregnancy and lactation for the health of both the motherand her fetus/infant. A recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) workshop of fatty acid experts, recognizing the importance of maternal DHA intake,recommended 300mg/day of DHA as Adequate Intake (AI) for pregnant andlactating women.1
• Low maternal and newborn DHA levels have been reported in closely spaced pregnancies (compared to first pregnancies)4 and multiple births (compared to singleton births).5
• In preterm infants, DHA levels in the umbilical artery wall, which reflect the long-term fetal DHA status, have been positively correlated to newborn head circumference, weight and length.6
• In a dietary study of 112 pregnant or lactating women in the United States, the average intake of DHA was 54mg/day, only 18% of that recommended by experts. Less than 2% of these women met the recommended DHA AI.8
• Increasing maternal DHA intake during pregnancy, through diet orsupplements, increases maternal9-11 and newborn10,11 DHA levels.
• DHA was cited as the likely component of breast milk affecting significantly higher cognitive outcomes of breast-fed infants compared to formula (not supplemented with DHA and ARA) fed infants through the first eighteen years of life.12
• Even up to two years of age, breast-fed infants (not supplemented with DHA and ARA) have higher skeletal muscle DHA and lower blood glucose levels than formula-fed infants.13
• At 6 weeks postpartum, maternal DHA levels remain lower than levels of non pregnant women.14
• Breast-fed infants of mothers who supplemented with DHA during 4 months of nursing had significantly improved psychomoter development (eye-hand coordination) at 2.5 years of age compared to breast-fed infants of mothers who received placebo.28
• During lactation, increasing maternal intake of DHA with dietary supplements improves maternal, breast milk29,30 and infant DHA levels.29,31
• In a study of pregnant women, those receiving 133mg of DHA per day (from DHA enriched eggs) during the third trimester increased their length of gestation by 6 days.33
• Infants who were breastfed for the first 4-6 months of life and then weaned to formula supplemented with DHA and ARA demonstrated more mature visual acuity than those breast-fed infants weaned to non-supplemented formula.34
http://www.dhadepot.com/PLbackgrdr81703.pdf