45 Meaningful vegetarian sources of DHA are essentially limited t

45 Meaningful vegetarian sources of DHA are essentially limited to algae-derived http://www.selleckchem.com/products/wortmannin.html DHA from Martek Biosciences (Columbia, MD). Using a strain of algae, Crypthecodinium cohnii, which is a naturally high producer of DHA, DHA oil is produced in US Food and Drug Administration-inspected, environmentally controlled manufacturing facilities. Although free of any environmental contaminants such as mercury, the oils do not contain any EPA and data demonstrating the benefits in pregnancy of DHA alone are lacking. Recommendations There is little doubt that pregnant women need at least as many omega- 3 fatty acids as nonpregnant women, and likely need more DHA.10,14,42 The recommendations for dietary omega-3 fatty acids should be adopted at the onset of pregnancy, but there may be benefits for all women who are considering becoming pregnant.

Given concerns for mercury toxicity with overconsumption of certain fish, in order to meet these recommendations, pregnant women will need to consume omega-3 fatty acids from 3 sources: vegetable oils, 2 servings of seafood per week, and omega-3 fatty acid supplements containing EPA and DHA or DHA alone. Intake of omega-6-rich oils found in sunflower, corn, and cottonseed oils should be minimized because they are converted to substrates that compete with EPA. Pregnant women should reduce their intake of these oils and substitute others that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids like flaxseed, canola, and soybean oil.42,46 Main Points Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a major structural fat in the human brain and eyes, representing about 97% of all omega-3 fats in the brain and 93% of all omega-3 fats in the retina.

DHA is particularly important for fetal development of the brain and retina during the third trimester and up to 18 months of life. The balance between omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 acids may be important, and the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may play an important role in DHA transplacental transport and intracellular absorption. Pregnant women likely have an increased need for essential omega-3 fatty acids compared with women who are not pregnant. Fish consumption, although an excellent source of both DHA and EPA, may contain mercury contamination and should therefore be limited to 2, 6-ounce, low-mercury seafood servings a week, such as shrimp, salmon, pollock, catfish, scallops, and sardines.

Both fish oil supplements, containing both EPA and DHA, and algae-derived DHA-only oils are good, mercury-safe means of supplementing the diet of a pregnant woman. Footnotes Dacomitinib Dr. Greenberg has no conflict of interest. Dr. Bell and Ms. Van Ausdal are full-time employees of Twinlab, a manufacturer and purveyor of dietary supplements. The company sells products containing omega-3 fatty acids.
In the age of rapidly expanding knowledge, we speak of evidenced-based medicine as if science and reason have only been with us since the introduction of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

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