Sales of DHA supplements are growing faster than any other nutritional dietary supplement in history.
Lets examine exactly what DHA supplements are and what they do.
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is one of the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids known as essential fatty acids. It is, however, not the only essential fatty acid. Others include EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), and more. These are known as Omega 3 fatty acids.
They are known as essential fatty acids because scientists and health professionals who research our health consider them to be essential for the maintenance of good health, and to help prevent, or ameliorate a range of common health problems.
We have been brought up to believe that fats are bad for us. And in some cases this is true. For example saturated fat, most commonly found in animal products, is not good for our health. However it’s not true that all fat is bad for us and the Omega 3 fatty acids, particularly DHA and EPA, are considered essential to good health. They are polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Unlike some nutrients our bodies are unable to create DHA, or the other essential fatty acids, itself. Rather we must rely on dietary intake for our supply of these Omega-3 fatty acids.
Whilst in the past there was a range of sources of DHA in our diet these sources have reduced over the past hundred years. Fish oil from oily fish was the single biggest source of DHA in our diets, however during the last century the amount of fish in the average American diet has reduced dramatically.
However there are other sources of DHA as well. For example meat has been a good source of DHA and EPA in the past, however is now not so. This is because most of our meat is now sourced from grain fed animals, and grain fed beef is low in these Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Grass fed beef is much higher in Omega3 fats however grass fed beef is now relatively rare in our diets.
Over the last 30 years research has established clearly that adequate supplies of DHA and EPA, the 2 most important of the omega 3 essential fatty acids, is essential to a wide range of health issues. Research has shown that the average American diet is inadequate in Omega 3 intake and increasing our intake can offer a wide range of health benefits including a reduction in heart disease, including fatal heart attacks, a reduction in the risk of stroke, a wide range of brain benefits including improved memory and brain function and a wide range of other improvements in our health.
You can read about many of these using the categories listed on the right.
Our brain is made up primarily of fat, and somewhere around 40 percent of that is DHA. DHA is also the most important of the essential fatty acids in the retina of our eyes.
It is now considered established that an adequate supply of DHA is essential to the growing development of the brain in a fetus and baby, as well as the nervous system, and for this reason pregnant and nursing women may also benefit from DHA supplements.
A recent study has shown that Omega 3 deficiency is one of the major causes of preventable deaths in the US.
The reduction in the intake of fish in our diets has meant that the average American diet is way too low in DHA and EPA. For this reason many health professionals, including the American Heart Association, are recommending DHA supplementation, or eating more fish, is a way to improve our levels of Omega 3 fatty acid intake, even during pregnancy. And the need to keep up an adequate intake of DHA and EPA extends to people of any age, with many health professionals recommending DHA supplements for pregnant women right through to our oldest citizens, who can also benefit from adequate dietary supplementation with Omega-3 fats.
DHA supplements are nutritional supplements which have high levels of both DHA and EPA, the 2 most important of the omega 3 fatty acids. For most of us they are the best source of essential fatty acids, and the most effective way to include these long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in our diet.
The DHA and EPA in the capsules comes from fish, which are the single best source of Omega 3 fats.
Of course we can always eat more fish, but fish is getting very expensive and can often be contaminated with toxins such as Mercury and PCBs. The best DHA supplements undergo an exacting purification process and are routinely tested for any evidence of contaminants, and the results of these tests are posted on the manufacturer’s website for customers to examine.
Inadequate intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids may well turn out to be one of the major causes of ill health in our generation. Science is certainly, it seems, tending to this conclusion. For this reason the sales of DHA supplements, or what is otherwise known as fish oil supplements or Omega 3 supplements, have grown faster than any other. Read the rest of this entry
Written by - Healthy Omega 3 Fish Oils(And make sure you read our page explaining why you need Omega 3 Fish Oil supplements, and find out how to choose the Best Fish Oil Supplements).



