by Heather Szczepiorkowski
I
have been thinking about an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA.
When I was
pregnant with my first child, like most parents, I read up on everything I
could about pregnancy and parenting. Then, DHA was best known for being in breast milk and was critical in building baby
brains. At the time, infant formulas
were not supplemented with DHA, now many of them are. Well after my son was born, things got busier
of course, and I did not give DHA much more thought.
That
changed this summer when I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about DHA
and lifelong intelligence. It got me
thinking again about the importance of DHA in raising my kids. Studies are finding that DHA is not only
important in the development of children, but also throughout a person’s
lifespan. Here is some of what I have
learned.
DHA or (docosahexaenoic acid), is a long
strand omega-3 fatty acid. It is one of the good fats involved in building and
keeping the brain and the whole nervous system working well. DHA is the fatty acids in your neurons. DHA is most abundant in
the brain and retina. It is key to
intelligence, reversing memory loss, improving eyesight, improving mood, just
to name a few of the benefits.
We are only
able to make limited amounts of DHA. Because
women’s bodies can nurture a fetus and nurse their young, they have a higher rate of
conversion, but still need to get DHA from foods and supplements. Cold water fish and fish oil are one of
the most common ways to take in DHA. While
most people believe that fish produce their own DHA, in fact, it’s the algae in
their food chain that makes them a rich source of DHA.
I also learned too that DHA is not
just for kids or young, developing minds.
DHA is vital in all stages of life and has been found to improve memory
functioning in middle-aged adults. Since
DHA is critical to the health of neurons, scientists are learning that DHA is
important in the performance of neurotransmitters in the brain enabling them to
communicate faster.
As a parent, I
am now looking for more ways
to increase our intake of DHA in the foods we eat – if your kids aren’t fond of
algae, some other sources are salmon, tuna, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, flaxseed
oil and walnuts. Some brands of milk and eggs contain DHA. Some chickens have flaxseed in their
grain. So double check!
Right now my kids and I are taking DHA
supplements along with our daily vitamin.
I made that decision since the food choices of my middle-schooler, at
least at lunch time, may not be the wisest.
One of our family favorites is maple seasoned salmon http://allrecipes.com/recipe/maple-salmon/ My kids aren’t too fond of salmon alone – but
with the seasonings and sweetness of the maple syrup, the plates are clean.
So get that DHA into your
system!! Please email me at marketing@uppervalleyaquaticcenter.com if you come across any great recipes that your family
loves. So long and thanks for all the fish!!!
