DHA Fish Oil: Why It Is So Important For Your Health

Virtually everybody has heard about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. What few seem to realize is that fish oils are not created equal. In this article we shall discuss the merits of the type known as DHA fish oil.

What Is DHA Fish Oil?

DHA is an acronym is docosahexaenoic acid. This is an omega-3 fatty acid. This fatty acid is found in the structural components of the brain and other tissues. While the body can synthesize it, it is in very small quantities. Much of the needed DHA must be obtained from the diet, yet most people often do not get enough.

How to Get DHA Fish Oil

Regular consumption of cold water fish – such as salmon, tuna, halibut and hoki – is the best way of getting DHA fish oil. But it is the not the most practical, not to mention that it comes with some hazards. How?

Well, unless you are fortunate to live somewhere that fresh wild-caught fish is available year-round, you won't be able to get DHA-rich fish regularly. Forget farmed fish; it is often loaded pesticides and antibiotics and doesn't even offer much benefit due to the diet it's fed.

Even when you can get wild-caught fish on a regular basis, there is the risk of ingesting mercury, lead, and PCBs that fish are now known to carry in their fat.

So what is the next best thing? It is to take a good quality DHA fish oil supplement.

You see, a good quality fish oil supplement have been put through a purification process that removes heavy metals or other toxins, while keeping the nutrients intact.

The Benefits of Fish Oil

Studies have shown that this appears to have positive impacts on a range of diseases and health disorders. The following list is just a handful of the conditions upon which DHA fish oil can have a beneficial effect.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

DHA fish oil, when consumed as a supplement, has shown the ability to improve general behavior in children who have ADHD. This disorder has a profound effect on family anxiety and the educational and career future of young people around the world.

Alzheimer’s

Though research indicates that DHA actually cannot slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s, it may help if consumption or supplementation is started before the onset of this condition.

Dementia

This fish oil has also had significant impact on various forms of dementia in people. This makes sense, since the substance acts as a building block on the brain and may work against the progress of forces that cause deterioration.

A study published in the November edition of Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association suggests that taking docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may improve memory and learning in older adults with mild cognitive impairments. This is promising news for many aging Americans who are searching for options to maintain memory and support overall cognitive health. ScienceDaily

Pregnancy

Pregnant woman can benefit from additional DHA in the diet. Not only is the oil good for the mother, but it is also essential for the healthy development of the fetus. The benefits carry through birth and beyond.

Researchers found that infants born to mothers with higher blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at delivery had advanced levels of attention spans well into their second year of life. During the first six months of life, these infants were two months ahead of those babies whose mothers had lower DHA levels. WebMD

Lactation

This supplement is also recommended for women who are lactating. They can pass on the benefits of the oil to their children through breast milk. Concentrations of omega-3 acids are significantly higher in the breast milk of women who receive more DHA in their diet.

As stated earlier, you have the option of getting DHA fish oil by eating fish regularly, or through supplementation. For most people, the most practical way is taking a quality fish oil pill daily.

How Much Omega-3 Per Day Should You Take?

If you have recently started taking omega-3 supplements or you are considering doing this soon, you may want to know exactly how much omega-3 per day you should take.

Before we take a look at what the optimal dosage is for fish oil and omega-3, let me tell you a bit more about why this oil is so important for your health.

Essential Fatty Acids: DHA, EPA or ALA?

Omega-3 is a long chain essential fatty acid which consists of fatty compounds known as DHA and EPA. Both of these are essential for good health. DHA is considered the more important of the two.

How much omega-3 per day that you should take is an important question as you need to ensure that you are getting enough while not taking too much of a good thing. Good quality supplements don't come cheap either, so it may be a good thing not to take in more than is necessary to benefit your health.

They are called essential fatty acids because the human body is unable to produce these on its own; you are therefore required to obtain them from your diet. As the main source of these nutrients is fish, a large percentage of people just do not get enough.

Now let's answer a frequently asked question; should you get your omega-3 from supplements of from food sources?

The best source of omega-3 is certainly food. However to get DHA and EPA you will have to consume a lot of cold-water, fatty fish and other seafood. Marine algae mainly have DHA. Plant sources have ALA, which must be converted into DHA, a process that loses much of the "good stuff".

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found primarily in fish oil, this is the ultimate form of fatty acid in humans. Most people get far too little of this all-important fatty acid, especially since the conversion of ALA to DHA is slow and minimally yielding. Dr. OZ

But there is a problem. Eating fish regularly may prove hard to do for most people. Fresh, wild fish is not cheap, and may not be always available. Farmed fish is not something you want to eat on a regular basis either. There is also a risk that fish may contain harmful pollutants that they have picked up from the sea.

Fish oil supplements can provide a safer way to obtain omega-3 without the risk of toxins, assuming you get quality ones. This is the simplest way of getting the fatty acids for most people.

So, How Much omega-3 Per Day?

There is no official recommended daily allowance for omega-3. The FDA along with many health organisations recommend that an average healthy person should take no more than 3000mg (3 grams) per day. This may be because fish oil has blood-thinning properties.

Do not take more than 3 grams daily of omega-3 fatty acids from capsules without the supervision of a health care provider, due to an increased risk of bleeding. University of Maryland

For most healthy people, one pill a day containing 1000mg of fish oil will do. Consulting a doctor about the best dosage for you is a good idea, as body weight, gender, individual health, medications and other factors often come into play.

It is important that the product you choose has high amounts of both DHA and EPA.

The amount of omega-3 fatty acids needed per day to reduce your risk of heard disease can be obtained by eating fish twice a week (above, note serving size) or by taking daily supplements containing 800-1000 mg (0.8-1 gram) of omega-3 fatty acids. If used to reduce triglycerides, higher doses are required and the amount should be determined by your physician and/or nutritionist. University of Massachusetts Medical School

If you are new to taking omega-3 supplements, then it may be best to start off on smaller amounts and build them up. This will ensure that there are no adverse reactions, such as stomach upset or nausea.

Hopefully this has answered your question as to how much omega-3 per day you should take.