Everyone should consider taking plant-based (yeast- or algae-derived) long chain omega-3 fatty acid (DHA/EPA) supplements.
Algae-Based DHA vs. Flax
4/5 - (94 votes)
There are at least six sources of microalgae-based DHA currently on the market. There’s Deva, Omega Zen capsules, Omega Zen liquid, Dr. Fuhrman’s brand, Spectrum makes one, V-Pure brand, and Udo’s Oil makes one, too.
This isn’t even negotiable for all pregnant and breastfeeding women. Just within the last year, mothers given DHA supplements had infants with significantly better vision at two months, significantly better problem-solving at nine months, and were significantly smarter at four years old—it bumped their IQ as well.
Now, we can make DHA ourselves from the shorter chain omega-3s in flaxseeds, walnuts, and a few other sources, but probably not enough for optimum health. Still, flax is amazing stuff.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Dianne Moore.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- S.M. Innis & R.W. Friesen. Essential n-3 fatty acids in pregnant women and early visual acuity maturation in term infants. Am J Clin Nutr, 87(3):548-557, 2008.
- M.P. Judge, O. Harel, C.J. Lammi-Keefe. Maternal consumption of a docosahexaenoic acid-containing functional food during pregnancy: benefit for infant performance on problem-solving but not on recognition memory tasks at age 9 mo. Am J Clin Nutr, 85(6):1572-1577, 2007.
- E.E. Birch, S. Garfield, Y. Castañeda, D. Hughbanks-Wheaton, R. Uauy, & D. Hoffman. Visual acuity and cognitive outcomes at 4 years of age in a double-blind, randomized trial of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid-supplemented infant formula. Early Hum Dev, 83(5):279-284, 2007.
There are at least six sources of microalgae-based DHA currently on the market. There’s Deva, Omega Zen capsules, Omega Zen liquid, Dr. Fuhrman’s brand, Spectrum makes one, V-Pure brand, and Udo’s Oil makes one, too.
This isn’t even negotiable for all pregnant and breastfeeding women. Just within the last year, mothers given DHA supplements had infants with significantly better vision at two months, significantly better problem-solving at nine months, and were significantly smarter at four years old—it bumped their IQ as well.
Now, we can make DHA ourselves from the shorter chain omega-3s in flaxseeds, walnuts, and a few other sources, but probably not enough for optimum health. Still, flax is amazing stuff.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Dianne Moore.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- S.M. Innis & R.W. Friesen. Essential n-3 fatty acids in pregnant women and early visual acuity maturation in term infants. Am J Clin Nutr, 87(3):548-557, 2008.
- M.P. Judge, O. Harel, C.J. Lammi-Keefe. Maternal consumption of a docosahexaenoic acid-containing functional food during pregnancy: benefit for infant performance on problem-solving but not on recognition memory tasks at age 9 mo. Am J Clin Nutr, 85(6):1572-1577, 2007.
- E.E. Birch, S. Garfield, Y. Castañeda, D. Hughbanks-Wheaton, R. Uauy, & D. Hoffman. Visual acuity and cognitive outcomes at 4 years of age in a double-blind, randomized trial of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid-supplemented infant formula. Early Hum Dev, 83(5):279-284, 2007.
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Algae-Based DHA vs. Flax
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