When should pregnant women supplement DHA? When is the best time to take DHA during the day?

Pregnant women can take DHA from the moment they are pregnant. Pregnant women need to supplement DHA to meet their own needs and the needs of the growing fetus. Whether the mother has enough DHA in her body is directly related to the brain development of the child in the later stage. Let's read the article below to learn more!

When should pregnant women supplement DHA?

1. In the first three months, the development of the fetus' central nervous system starts from the third week, and the eye development starts from the fourth week. Supplementing DHA during this period can promote the fetus's vision development.

There are three important stages in the development cycle of fetal brain power:

2. 3-6 months is the first golden period. Pregnant mothers can supplement DHA to promote the growth of the baby's brain cells. The more brain cells there are, the smarter the baby is.

3. July to October is the second peak period for supplementing DHA, which mainly promotes the connection between baby's brain cells and improves the baby's reaction and adaptability;

4. The lactation period, which is one year after the baby is born, is the third peak of development. This stage is to improve the baby's immunity, that is, resistance. The baby's growth environment has changed, and resistance is very important, so that it will not be easy to get sick. Many pregnant mothers think that they no longer need to supplement DHA after giving birth. In fact, DHA can also be passed to the baby through breastfeeding, so mothers should not forget it.

What is the best time of day to take DHA?

For pregnant women, the most basic time to take DHA should be after a meal, or when you are full. Never take it on an empty stomach to avoid irritating the stomach and causing discomfort. In addition, DHA supplementation must be taken in moderation and in accordance with doctor's advice. The more the better.

Although many foods contain DHA, it is difficult to calculate the content of DHA in food, considering the low conversion efficiency of dietary DHA, and many pregnant women do not like to eat fish. Therefore, choosing a suitable DHA supplement may be a more realistic, effective and convenient way to supplement. When it comes to DHA supplements, the most common DHA supplements on the market are fish oil DHA and algae oil DHA.

A. Fish oil DHA: It is extracted from the fat of deep-sea fish rich in DHA through advanced extraction technology.

B. Algae oil DHA: Pure plant-based DHA is "directly extracted" from natural deep-sea microalgae rich in DHA.

Compared with fish oil DHA, algae oil DHA is purer in composition and less likely to deteriorate. Therefore, pregnant mothers should supplement DHA according to their actual situation.

How should pregnant mothers supplement DHA

Dietary supplementation of DHA is the easiest way to supplement DHA in daily diet. Many fish such as salmon and saury, as well as seafood, egg yolks, and algae contain DHA (other foods contain almost no DHA). Fish is the first choice for dietary supplementation of DHA. It is recommended that pregnant mothers eat fish 2 to 3 times a week to supplement DHA.

When eating marine fish, you should be careful to choose marine fish such as swordfish, marlin, tuna, etc., which have a higher risk of mercury. You can eat more fish with high DHA content and low EPA content.

In addition, seaweed foods such as laver and kelp can also be eaten. Steaming is the best cooking method, followed by stewing, and roasting or frying should be used as little as possible.

Related News

DHA is very important for the baby's brain and visual development;

The recommended intake during pregnancy and lactation is 200 mg per day;

The first choice for DHA supplementation is food supplementation, and if it is insufficient, oral supplementation can be used;

Babies who are breastfed do not need to supplement DHA, but babies who are fed in other ways should use formula milk containing DHA.