DHA is essential for healthy functioning of the brain, retina, and skin; and adequate DHA levels in the body may help prevent neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders<\/a>. DHA is involved in the transmission of signals between neurons as well as cellular responses to substances on or outside of the cell membrane. While DHA is vitally important for neurodevelopment, learning, and language acquisition, exact dietary DHA requirements remain unknown.<\/p>\n\n Dietary sources of DHA include aquatic organisms such as fish and shellfish, and small amounts of DHA are found in eggs and poultry. Another type of omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found in flaxseeds, canola oil, tofu, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts. The human body can convert ALA into DHA, but this process is inefficient, does not produce much DHA, and can be hampered by modern Western diets high in omega-6 fatty acids.<\/p>\n\n While a balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids<\/a> is best, we tend to consume too much omega-6. Some products high in omega-6 include sunflower oil, soybean oil, and cottonseed oil \u2014 often used in processed and fast foods because they are inexpensive.<\/p>\n\n A graphic depiction of a synapse between two brain cells \u2014 the axon terminal of one cell and dendrite of another \u201ccommunicate\u201d via neurotransmitters. Adequate DHA is essential for proper neurodevelopment, learning, and language acquisition. DHA is involved in the transmission of signals between and across neurons.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n Dr. Rajavel Elango<\/a>, Dr. Sheila Innis*, Dr. Kelly Mulder, and Roger Dyer assessed young children\u2019s dietary DHA intake and blood DHA status and determined the association between these DHA levels and cognitive performance<\/a>. The researchers used a series of standardized neurodevelopmental tests<\/a> to measure the children\u2019s short-term memory, visual processing, long-term memory, and attention.<\/p>\n\n Two groups of young participants took part in the team\u2019s study:<\/p>\n\n Salmon and other fatty fish are excellent sources of dietary DHA.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n Dr. Elango and his colleagues assessed each group\u2019s dietary DHA intake by interviewing the children\u2019s parents using a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire and then conducting nutrient analysis of foods and beverages consumed. Venous blood samples were also taken to measure the children\u2019s blood DHA levels, and results from each group were compared. There were no significant differences between the two study groups. <\/p>\n\n \u201cInterestingly, we found that dietary DHA intake was only moderately associated with blood DHA levels. In other words, high DHA intake through foods consumed doesn\u2019t necessarily mean the child will have high blood DHA. There may be certain individual factors at play \u2014 such as genetic variation and fatty acid metabolism differences \u2014 influencing what happens to DHA in the body once it is consumed or synthesized.\u201d says Dr. Elango.<\/p>\n\n \n\t\t\t\u201cThere may be certain individual factors at play \u2014 such as genetic variation and fatty acid metabolism differences \u2014 influencing what happens to DHA in the body once it is consumed or synthesized.\u201d\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\t This finding also suggests that dietary DHA intake may not be the best marker for DHA status. Instead, researchers should consider using blood DHA to more accurately gauge participants\u2019 DHA levels.<\/p>\n\n In terms of the neurodevelopmental results, blood DHA levels were positively associated with scores on some of the tests, while dietary DHA levels were only associated with the short-term memory test results.<\/p>\n\n \u201cLong-term memory was not related to either dietary or blood DHA levels which is different from earlier animal model experiments,\u201d explains Dr. Elango. \u201cBut it may be that the participants in both groups did not have low enough DHA levels to have negative impacts on learning or other cognitive outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.bcchr.ca\/elango-lab\/files\/2022\/08\/synapse-between-neurons.png\")
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