Keeping your brain healthy and well-fed is as important as building your muscles or improving stamina. One of the most important nutrients that contributes to having a healthy brain is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid. It is one of the most abundantly found omega-3s in the brain and retina, accounting for nearly 97 per cent in the brain, 93 per cent in the retina and also a key component of the heart.
Not everything we eat contains DHA and there are some food items which are high in DHA. “One of the primary sources of DHA is fatty fish such as tuna, salmon and mackerel. Having 10-100 times more DHA than other sources such as green leafy vegetables, consumption of fish is one of the best ways to meet the daily requirement of 100mg per day.
Other sources of DHA include eggs, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. However, the best way to ensure a diet rich in DHA is to consume it directly. With vegetarians this can be difficult; fortunately DHA is now also available from another source - algae. Fish are popularly thought to produce their own DHA but in essence it is the algae they feed on which makes them a rich source of DHA,” shares Bangalore-based nutrition advisor Dr Nandita Iyer.
Explaining how DHA contributes to a healthy brain, she says, “As an important structural component of the nerve cells in the brains and eyes, research shows that DHA is important for mental and visual development throughout life.”
DHA supplementation during pregnancy supports maternal health and is also associated with a positive effect on infant development. DHA is also naturally found in breast milk and specifically helps with the development of vision and better brain function and development through enhanced problem solving capabilities and better hand-eye coordination. The brain needs its own set of nutrients that will contribute to better development of nerves and cell in the brain. Therefore, it is suggested that specifically for infants breast milk is mandatory for first six months of life as it is naturally rich in DHA.
Dr Iyer adds, “Following this formula, food rich in DHA or other supplements can also be given to children from ages two and above. Eggs are also a good example of ‘brain foods’- the choline in eggs plays an important role in the development of memory stem cells, formed deep inside the brain.”