How does dha help

If you want to support brain health, your essential fatty acid supplement should have at least a ratio of of DHA to EPA. Ample DHA in the brain ensures neurons are sufficiently fluid and flexible, which is necessary for them to communicate with one another. Good communication between neurons is foundational to healthy brain function, good cognition, a brain that is calm and alert, for proper brain development in children, and for healthy brain aging in adults.

DHA also inhibits brain degeneration. DHA has also been shown to improve both short-term and long-term memory and reduce brain inflammation. Reducing brain inflammation is important because this is at the root of so many common problems, including depression, fatigue, memory loss, and brain fog. The brain is lined by a cellular membrane called the blood-brain-barrier. The blood-brain-barrier protects the brain from bacteria, toxins, and other pathogens yet allows necessary nano-sized compounds in and out.

As a matter of fact, DHA is a major structural and functional fat found in the brain and eyes and is also a key component of the tissue found in the heart and cardiovascular system. Omega-3s are one of the most studied nutrients of all time with approximately 30, scientific publications linking omega-3s to a number of different health benefits. In fact, one study that provided mg of algal DHA for six months suggests that DHA supplementation at this level may support the memory of healthy adults aged 55 years and older.

As awareness of the importance of DHA continues to grow, more attention is being paid to the fact that adults may need to supplement their daily diet with DHA. A growing awareness of the dietary sources of DHA and the inclusion of DHA in certain fortified foods and supplements is making it easier for people to include this important nutrient in their diets every day.

What do blue light, the sun, and your diet including DHA have in common? EPA, another long-chain n-3 fatty acid, is also present in fatty fish. The shorter chain n-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, is not converted very well to DHA in man. These longchain n-3 fatty acids also known as omega-3 fatty acids are now becoming available in some foods, especially infant formula and eggs in Europe and Japan.

Fish oil decreases the proliferation of tumour cells, whereas arachidonic acid, a longchain n-6 fatty acid, increases their proliferation.

These opposite effects are also seen with inflammation, particularly with rheumatoid arthritis, and with asthma. DHA has a positive effect on diseases such as hypertension, arthritis, atherosclerosis, depression, adult-onset diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, thrombosis, and some cancers. People who already have heart disease may need fish oil supplements in addition to adding more fish to their diet.

Ask your doctor if fish oil supplements are right for you. DHA plays a crucial role in the growth and development of the central nervous system, as well as visual functioning in infants. Breastfed babies with healthy mothers should get enough DHA in breast milk. Several small studies found that fish oil may help reduce symptoms and inflammation linked with rheumatoid arthritis.

However, it does not stop joint damage from getting worse. Fish oil seems to reduce the pain of menstrual cramps when taken on a regular basis not just when menstruating. Several studies show that high doses 12 g of fish oil can reduce sensitivity to cold in the fingers and toes of people with Raynaud syndrome. Doses this high should be taken only under a doctor's supervision. Preliminary studies suggest that fish oil may reduce the fatigue and joint pain associated with lupus.

DHA is found in cold-water, fatty fish, including salmon, tuna bluefin tuna have up to 5 times more DHA than other types of tuna , sardines, shellfish, and herring.

Some of these fish have low levels of mercury. However, the FDA says that eating several servings of fish each week poses no risk to healthy people and offers many health benefits. Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should not eat king mackerel, shark, swordfish, and tilefish.

They should also eat no more than 6 oz. To make sure you get fish oil supplements that are not contaminated with mercury, read labels carefully and check for purity, ask your doctor to help you find the best quality DHA supplement.

If the mother is healthy, breastfed babies should get enough DHA from breast milk. Infant formula may or may not have any DHA. Read labels carefully. Pregnant women should talk to their doctor before taking fish oil supplements. Fish oil capsules may cause minor side effects, such as loose stools, stomach upset, and belching. They may slightly increase the risk of bleeding. If you take blood-thinning medication, talk to your doctor before taking fish oil. Fish oil may lower blood pressure.

If you already take medication to lower blood pressure, talk to your doctor before taking fish oil. Blood pressure medication: DHA may lower blood pressure, so it could make the effects of prescription blood pressure medication stronger.

That could raise the risk of having low blood pressure. Blood-thinners anticoagulants and antiplatelets : EPA in fish oil supplements may increase bleeding time, so fish oil could make the effects of these drugs stronger.