3 reliable ways to help pregnant mothers get enough DHA!

Speaking of DHA, many people may have heard of its other name - "brain gold". Just by looking at the name, you know that it is a nutrient that is beneficial to the brain. This is indeed the case. DHA is the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid in the brain and is also a nutrient necessary for the development of the fetus, infant brain, retina and other tissues.

The baby's brain begins to develop from the 4th week of the mother's pregnancy. By the 6th month of the mother's pregnancy, the baby's brain already has 14 billion brain cells, which means that it has all the brain cells it will ever have in its lifetime.

After that, what we need to do is to help the baby increase his brain mass, and DHA, as the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid in the brain, is crucial for increasing the baby's brain mass.

From the 26th week of pregnancy, DHA begins to accumulate in the baby's brain, reaches its peak at 6 months after birth, and continues to increase until the baby is 2 years old. When in the mother's belly, the fetus can only obtain DHA from the mother, so at this time, it is very necessary for pregnant mothers to consciously increase their DHA intake.

So how should pregnant mothers increase their DHA intake scientifically and reasonably?

1. Increase your intake of fish and other seafood.

DHA is actually mainly found in algae that grow in cold water, while fish, especially marine fish, will enrich DHA in their fat through bioaccumulation. Therefore, marine fish such as salmon, tuna, hairtail, large yellow croaker, small yellow croaker, mackerel, pomfret, and saury are all fish rich in DHA. If you do not have the conditions to eat marine fish frequently, then freshwater fish such as sea bass, catfish, and mandarin fish are also good sources of DHA.

At the same time, eating more fish during pregnancy can not only supplement DHA, but also provide pregnant mothers with easily digestible high-quality protein, and at the same time replenish the body's easily insufficient vitamin D. In this way, pregnant mothers can completely use fish and seafood as the main source of DHA, and it is best to eat 2-3 times a week to ensure an intake of 300-500g.

2. Consume vegetable oils rich in alpha-linolenic acid.

Vegetable oils such as flaxseed oil and perilla oil are rich in an essential fatty acid called α-linolenic acid, which is a precursor of DHA. That is to say, DHA can be synthesized in our body. However, due to the relatively low efficiency of synthesis, it is not recommended as the main source of DHA. But it is also a good choice to replace part of other vegetable oils in daily life.

3. Take DHA supplements specifically for pregnant women.

If you don't have the conditions to eat seafood such as fish and shrimp regularly, then it is beneficial to take some DHA supplements specifically for pregnant women.

When choosing DHA supplements, pregnant mothers are recommended to give priority to purer algae oil DHA.

If you must choose fish oil to supplement DHA, be sure to check the ingredient list. Because there are many fish oil supplements on the market for lowering blood lipids for middle-aged and elderly people, which contain more EPA and less DHA, and pregnant mothers need to supplement DHA instead of EPA. Therefore, you must buy DHA supplements for pregnant women, and the daily DHA intake must reach at least 200mg!