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DHA for Brain and Eye Health

Do you care about your brain and eyes? How much seafood do you eat each week.

We are trying to include seafood more!
Last night Ahi tuna with olive oil, pepper and sesame seeds and mixed vegetables with Tamari sauce.


WHY eat seafood?

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)!
DHA is quantitatively the most important omega-3 in the brain. 
Eat seafood. The ALA in plants, like flax, does not convert efficiently to the DHA we need. Preformed DHA (seafood) needs to be consumed. 

  • The brain and eye have high DHA contents compared to other organs. 
  • DHA is especially concentrated in the grey matter of the brain and in the rod outer segments of the retina. 
  • In the brain DHA is involved in neuronal signalling, while in the eye it is involved in the quality of vision.
  • A lower DHA content is linked to poorer cognitive development and visual function.
  • The higher the Omega 3’s the lower the risk of premature death 
  • Highest amounts of DHA are found in fatty fish like mackerel, salmon, trout, herring, tuna, cod haddock, prawns, crab, mussels, (canned tuna has less) and sardines. Human breast milk has DHA, especially when the mama eats seafood. 
  • The modern Western diet, high in Omega6 fatty acids causes the beneficial DHA to be displaced in the cell membranes. This corresponds to a rise in modern lifestyle diseases including disorders of the brain, heart and eye.

References

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