We’ve all heard about the health benefits of Omega fatty acids, with Omega-3 and Omega-6 receiving most of the attention. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. There are many different forms of Omega fatty acids. The well-known Omega-3 and Omega-6 refer to the two different families of essential fatty acids, but specific fatty acids within the different families are more important than the collective family names. Specifically, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentanoic acid).

Anne Till, a registered dietician and Director of Anne Till & Associates, says the importance of DHA for optimal infant development should not be overlooked. In fact, DHA should be considered an essential nutrient for women who are pregnant, breast-feeding or planning to fall pregnant.

“Although DHA is essential, our bodies do not manufacture this fatty acid,” she says. “It is therefore necessary to make sure we get enough DHA through diet, supplementation, or both.”

It is worth noting that 60% of the infant brain is made up of essential fatty acids, making intake of fatty acids highly important for infant development. These fatty acids are called ‘essential’ because our bodies don’t manufacture them and we therefore need to include them in our diet. Half of this essential fatty acid is DHA, while the other half is arachidonic acid (AA). Part of the Omega-6 family of fatty acids, AA tends to be abundantly available in the modern day diet and supplementation with this fatty acid is not required.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

There is scientific evidence to show that the mother’s DHA intake during pregnancy and breast-feeding enhances the development of a baby’s eyesight, nervous system and brain, while at the same time helping to reduce postpartum depression. Pregnant women should take an estimated 200mg of DHA daily, while everyone else will get the right levels of this essential fatty acid by taking approximately 140mg a day.

From a diet perspective, DHA is found in cold-water fatty fish such as salmon, trout, sardines and pilchards. Consuming a direct source of DHA such as fatty fish is more desirable than a more complex source such as flax seed and green leafy vegetables.Both of these contain the parent fatty acid Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). However, our bodies are not efficient in converting ALA to the desirable end stage metabolite DHA.

However, ecological concerns regarding over-fishing and further risks for pregnant women due to mercury contaminants found in some fish, means that the safest way to get DHA is through supplements.

Get the right supplement

“It is critical to ensure that whichever supplement you choose contains DHA and not just Omega-3, to make sure that you get the right benefits for yourself and your baby. This is the most important step. For example, you can take flax oil which contains ALA for as long as you like, but it won’t give your body the DHA it needs,” Anne explains.

“Make sure that you get the right benefits for yourself and your baby. This is the most important step. For example, you can take flax oil which contains ALA for as long as you like, but it won’t give your body the DHA it needs.”

Read on to find out more

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