Should infants and young children eat DHA?

The DHA that everyone often talks about is actually called docosahexaenoic acid in Chinese. It is essentially an unsaturated fatty acid. DHA is called brain gold. In the process of children's development, in addition to physical development, brain development is also crucial. If you want to promote the baby's brain development, DHA plays a vital role in promoting human brain development. There are many DHA supplement products on the market now, so is it necessary for babies to eat DHA?

Should infants and young children eat DHA?

DHA, the full name of which is docosahexaenoic acid, is an ω-3 unsaturated fatty acid that is mainly found in the brain and retina. It also plays an important role in the development of nerves and vision.

Since DHA in the human body can be synthesized through α-linolenic acid (rich in vegetable oils), it is a "non-essential fatty acid".

However, due to its low conversion rate, it is very important for the neural and visual development of the fetus and infant. Therefore, it can be used as a conditional "essential fatty acid" for pregnant women and infants.

What role does DHA play in pregnant women and infants?

1. Supplementing DHA during pregnancy can reduce the risk of premature birth and moderately promote fetal growth;

2. DHA has a positive effect on the development of infants' nerves and visual functions, and can regulate immune function;

3. Studies have found that supplementing with DHA may improve postpartum depression and sleep quality in infants and young children.

Which foods are rich in DHA?

1. DHA mainly comes from fish and algae, especially deep-sea fish such as yellow croaker, tuna, salmon, herring, sardines, as well as shrimp, crabs, shellfish, cuttlefish, crucian carp, etc.

For example, 100g of sardines contains about 108mg of DHA, but freshwater fish like crucian carp only contains about 30mg of DHA per 100g. Some other seaweeds such as golden algae, red algae, and green algae are also rich in DHA.

2. Breast milk and egg yolk contain a certain amount of DHA.

3. α-linolenic acid in the body can synthesize some DHA. Although the conversion rate is low, the DHA content in the body can still be increased by increasing the intake of α-linolenic acid.

How can we ensure that we are getting enough DHA?

1. Diet for pregnant women and lactating mothers

The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that pregnant women and nursing mothers should consume no less than 200 mg of DHA per day, eat fish 2-3 times a week, with at least one of those times being fatty marine fish, and eat an egg a day to increase DHA intake.

In addition, eat edible vegetable oils rich in α-linolenic acid, such as flaxseed oil, olive oil, perilla oil, etc.

When it is not possible to eat enough deep-sea fish due to geographical reasons, pregnant women and nursing mothers cannot reach the recommended dose of DHA through diet and can use DHA supplements appropriately.

2. DHA supplementation for infants and young children

The recommended daily amount of DHA for infants and young children is 100 mg. Breast milk is the main source of DHA for infants and young children, and breastfeeding is encouraged and advocated. Studies have found that breast milk from people living in China's coastal areas, river and lake areas, and inland areas contains 0.47g, 0.41g, and 0.24g of DHA per 100g of fatty acids, respectively.