The Benefits Of Vegetarian Dha Omega-3

By Author: David Backham
Total Articles: 7
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Docosahexaenoic acid, or better known as DHA, is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid that provides a multitude of benefits to the human body. Although DHA supplements traditionally take the form of fish-oil softgels, vegetarian algae-derived DHA oils are gaining stride due to their advantages over fish-derived oils.

Benefits of DHA Omega-3
A number of scientific studies have increased awareness of the various advantages of DHA:
DHA is essential for the growth and functional development of the brain and eyes in infants
DHA is important for adults to maintain healthy brain function, and DHA deficiency is associated with reduced cognitive function in the aging, as well as Alzheimer's disease and dementia
Epidemiological studies have shown a strong correlation between increasing the amount of fish consumed (a prime source of DHA) and the reduction of cardiovascular disease development, due to DHA's ability to lower triglycerides, increase good HDL cholesterol, and improve blood vessel functions
DHA is linked to general eye health, and higher levels of DHA may reduce risk of age-related macular degeneration
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... DHA may lower the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and arthritis

DHA from Diet
Unfortunately, most people find it difficult to obtain the necessary amounts of DHA from diet alone, since fatty fish is not a regular part of the North American diet.
Although a popular DHA alternative, flax seed and walnuts only contain alpha-linolenic (ALA) omega-3 and not DHA. The human body is capable of converting ALA to DHA, but studies have indicated that less than 1% of ALA is actually turned into DHA by the body.

How to Obtain Recommended Levels of DHA
Even for those unable to fulfill their DHA requirements by diet alone, various DHA supplements are available to help them achieve that goal.
Fish Oil DHA Supplements
Fish-oil softgels are the most common DHA supplements on the market today, though there are several disadvantages to them. For one, these supplements contain animal products and are therefore unacceptable to vegans and vegetarians. Fish oil also has an unpleasant, fishy taste and odour, and often leads to embarrassing fish burps. On the safety side, pollutants carried by the fish may end up in the final product. Finally, overfishing has caused the oceanic fatty fish population to decrease dramatically in recent years, leading to possible future regulations on the matter and a reduced supply of cold-water fish derived omega-3 oils.
Vegetarian DHA Supplements
Fortunately, there is an alternative to fish oil DHA supplements. DHA extracted from algae is one of the newest trends in the omega-3 market, especially as this form of DHA negates almost all the shortcomings of fish oil DHA.
As the largest biomass on Earth, algae are also an extremely rich source of DHA. In fact, fatty fish do not actually make their own DHA, but rather obtain it from eating algae. Since algae are not animals, vegans and vegetarians have no qualms about taking algae DHA supplements. Algae DHA also carry no offensive tastes or odours to deter people from ingesting it. For the environmentally-conscious, algae are an extremely bio-renewable and sustainable source. All these factors combine to make algae DHA an extremely attractive alternative to fish oil DHA.

Conclusion
In conclusion, DHA is highly beneficial to overall health, and should be included as much as possible in the daily diet. To supplement that, DHA supplements should be taken to fulfill recommended intake levels. Of the DHA supplement types available on the market currently, vegetarian algae DHA present more benefits than traditional fish oil DHA, whether from a personal ingestion perspective, or from a larger, environmental perspective.

This article was written by Tracy Gu for Nutralab Canada. Nutralab Canada offers a one-stop-shoCanadian Omega 3 Contract Manufacturerp for all your contract manufacturing and private label needs, including contract manufacturing for dietary supplements. Want to make your own fish oil or vegetarian algae DHA omega-3 softgels? Leave it to us! Call us today at1-866-446-6766 (toll-free) or (905) 752-1823 (local), or email info@nutralab.ca. Visit us at www.nutralab.ca for more information!

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