DHA supplements increase omega-3 in breast milk
Breast milk: DHA increases its Omega 3 indices.
Women who take DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) supplements while breastfeeding show increased levels of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in their milk. A beneficial effect is also seen in the blood of infants, where the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is reduced.
This is reported in research published in the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids by researchers at Abbott Nutrition in Columbus, USA.
DHA is critical for brain development
The composition of human breast milk reflects the nutritional status and diet of the mother during lactation, especially with regard to certain essential nutrients such as omega-3 and omega-6. DHA is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that has been much studied over the past 20 years during pregnancy and lactation for its role in infant brain growth. It accounts for more than 10% of the fatty acids in the brain and is essential for infant development. During the first 6 months of life, exclusive breastfeeding is recommended and is very important. During this period, the infant's brain doubles in weight, and much of this increase is attributed to gray matter growth, corresponding to the formation of DHA-rich neuronal synapses.
DHA supplements increase omega-3s in children's plasma
The study involved 89 lactating women, who 4-6 weeks after delivery had taken either a placebo, or a supplement of 200 or 400 milligrams of DHA, for six weeks while continuing to follow their usual diet. Milk and maternal plasma fatty acids were measured at the beginning and end of the study, and infant fatty acids only at the end of the research.
Dr. Sherry and her team found that the concentration of DHA in breast milk and plasma was significantly higher in the women who had taken the 200- and 400-mg DHA supplements than in those who had received placebo, with increases of 50 percent and 123 percent for breast milk and 71 percent and 101 percent for plasma. In addition, it appeared from the analyses that the ratio in the infants' plasma of arachidonic acid (an omega-6) to DHA was significantly higher in the placebo group than in the two groups of infants breastfed by mothers who had received the supplements. Notably, these data were the first to show that infants of mothers who had received small or high doses of DHA showed a 40% and 51% lower omega-6:omega-3 ratio, respectively, compared with infants of women who had taken placebo.
According to some studies, a low ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 during neuronal development may result in a higher rate of DHA accumulation in three important areas of the brain, and other research suggests that an imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 in the early years of life may lead to irreversible changes in the hypothalamus region.
DHA enhances neuronal development
According to Dr. Sherry and the other co-authors of the study, the results show that in a population with low dietary omega-3 intake, supplements can increase DHA levels in maternal plasma and milk with a positive impact on infant brain development. Although results regarding the 'long-term cognitive action of DHA supplements in pregnancy remain uncertain, the importance of adequate dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids in infants for normal development is now established.
There are numerous studies recommending at least 200 mg per day of DHA for pregnant and lactating women, but data show that new mothers often consume about 25 percent of this amount, and nearly three-quarters of pregnant women's omega-3 intake falls far short of European guidelines.
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Source: :C.L. Sherry, et al. "Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in lactating women increases breast milk and plasma docosahexaenoic acid concentrations and alters infant omega 6:3 fatty acid ratio"; Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids (PLEFA)
