Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): benefits, dosage, contraindications
Other name(s)
Omega-3
Scientific name(s)
DHA, PUFA
Family or group:
Fatty Acids
Indications
Scoring methodology
EFSA approval.
Eye health ✪✪✪✪✪
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has given a positive conclusion on the contribution of DHA to the maintenance of normal vision. nnPublished data suggest that infants who do not receive DHA in breast milk or infant formula have a delay in the development of visual acuity compared with those who receive an adequate amount of DHA. DHA is essential for the normal functioning of neurons and plays a key role in the development of neural and synaptic membranes, particularly retinal and visual functions.nnIn addition, studies show that taking omega-3s (DHA and EPA) can reduce the risk of developing AMD (age-related macular degeneration).nn
Posologie
Oral
280 mg
fish oil
Synergies
Term infant studies of DHA and ARA supplementation on neurodevelopment: results of randomized controlled trials
Comparative Analysis of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Content in Mother's Milk of Term and Preterm Mothers
Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Are human milk long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids related to visual and neural development in breast-fed term infants?
Effects of lutein and docosahexaenoic Acid supplementation on macular pigment optical density in a randomized controlled trial
Child development ✪✪✪✪✪
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has published a positive opinion on the contribution of DHA to the maintenance of normal brain functions in children and adults. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids make up one third of all lipids present in the brain's gray matter. Studies show that insufficient intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA during fetal and child development is considered a factor in the development of behavioral, functional, and neurological disorders.
Posologie
By mouth
200 - 250 mg
4 months
fish oil
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA): From the Maternal-Fetal Dyad to the Complementary Feeding Period
Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Prenatal supplementation with DHA improves attention at 5 y of age: a randomized controlled trial
Dyslipidemia ✪✪✪✪✪
Clinical evidence suggests that taking 1.25 to 4 g of DHA per day for 7 weeks can reduce triglyceride levels by 17% to 24% in patients with dyslipidemia or hypertriglyceridemia. Most clinical research suggests that DHA does not lower total cholesterol or HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins).
Posologie
Oral
1.25 - 4 g
7 days
Adults
fish oil
Effects of docosahexaenoic acid on serum lipoproteins in patients with combined hyperlipidemia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Purified eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids have differential effects on serum lipids and lipoproteins, LDL particle size, glucose, and insulin in mildly hyperlipidemic men.
Effects of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of data from 33 randomized controlled trials
Pregnancy ✪✪✪✪✪
DHA is present in human breast milk and is found in the plasma and cerebral cortex of infants. Pregnancy can lead to long-term effects on a woman's DHA stores. However, maternal DHA status likely normalizes within the year following pregnancy. There appears to be a preferential transfer of DHA across the placenta. Maternal supplementation with DHA at 200 mg/day starting from the 15th week of pregnancy or during the third trimester could normalize maternal DHA levels. Maternal DHA levels tend to decrease significantly during the third trimester of pregnancy. Omega-3 supplementation, and DHA in particular, may prevent some pregnancy-related complications such as hypertension or eclampsia. High-quality clinical studies show that DHA supplementation also reduces the risk of preterm delivery.
Posologie
Oral
200 - 1000 mg
17 - weeks
Pregnant women
Fish oil
Supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid in the last trimester of pregnancy: maternal-fetal biochemical findings
DHA supplementation and pregnancy outcomes.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake estimated from a 7-question survey identifies pregnancies most likely to benefit from high-dose DHA supplementation
A Randomized Trial of Prenatal n-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation and Preterm Delivery
Maternal docosahexaenoic acid supplementation and fetal accretion
Higher dose docosahexaenoic acid supplementation during pregnancy and early preterm birth: A randomised, double-blind, adaptive-design superiority trial
Early and late preterm birth rates in participants adherent to randomly assigned high dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in pregnancy
Effect of fish oil supplementation in pregnancy on bone, lean, and fat mass at six years: randomized clinical trial.
Effect of placental function on fatty acid requirements during pregnancy
Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency in infants before birth identified using a randomized trial of maternal DHA supplementation in pregnancy.
Fetal development ✪✪✪✪✪
DHA accumulates rapidly in the human brain during the third trimester of pregnancy and the early postnatal period. The accumulation of DHA and other fatty acids at this stage leads to rapid development and growth of brain tissue. Additionally, some data suggest that infants who do not receive DHA in breast milk have delayed development of visual acuity compared with those who receive an adequate amount of DHA.
Posologie
Oral
400 - 600 mg
Pregnant women
fish oil
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA): From the Maternal-Fetal Dyad to the Complementary Feeding Period
Fetal DHA inadequacy and the impact on child neurodevelopment: a follow-up of a randomized trial of maternal DHA supplementation in pregnancy
Effect of fish oil supplementation in pregnancy on bone, lean, and fat mass at six years: randomized clinical trial.
Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency in infants before birth identified using a randomized trial of maternal DHA supplementation in pregnancy.
Dementia ✪✪✪✪✪
Studies have shown that an increase of 0.1 g per day in dietary DHA intake was associated with a 14% reduced risk of dementia when taken over 2 to 21 years. However, no dose-response relationship was observed. Other clinical studies suggest that taking 0.72 grams of DHA per day for one year improves dementia symptoms in patients with dementia due to thrombotic cerebrovascular disease. Preliminary clinical research conducted on patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease shows that taking 500 mg of DHA daily in fish oil combined with carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) for 12 months slightly improved memory and mood compared with placebo. According to researchers, oxidized derivatives of DHA are involved in Alzheimer's disease. DHA appears to be a target of oxidative attack in this disease. Without certainty about the causal relationship of oxidation in Alzheimer's disease, it is recommended to protect the brain's DHA stores with DHA supplementation combined with antioxidants such as vitamin E.
Posologie
Orally
500 mg
1 - years
Fish oil
Synergies
Supplementation With Carotenoids, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Vitamin E Has a Positive Effect on the Symptoms and Progression of Alzheimer's Disease
Plasma Phosphatidylcholine Docosahexaenoic Acid Content and Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer Disease: The Framingham Heart Study
Intakes of fish and polyunsaturated fatty acids and mild-to-severe cognitive impairment risks: a dose-response meta-analysis of 21 cohort studies.
Cognitive decline ✪✪✪✪✪
Preliminary clinical studies show that taking 12 mg of lutein, alone or together with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at a dose of 800 mg per day for 4 months, may improve verbal fluency and memory scores compared with baseline values in older women. Another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial showed that oral DHA supplementation (2 g/day) for 12 months in older subjects with mild cognitive impairment had a beneficial effect on overall cognitive function. The results suggest that 12 months of DHA supplementation significantly increased hippocampal volume. The hippocampus is a brain region essential for memory formation and plays an important role in consolidating information from short-term to long-term memory and in spatial navigation.
Posologie
Oral
800 - 2000 mg
4 - months
Women, Seniors
fish oil
Synergies
Effects of DHA Supplementation on Hippocampal Volume and Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A 12-Month Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Cognitive Decline and Fatty Acid Composition of Erythrocyte membranes--The EVA Study
The effects of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on cognition and well-being in mild cognitive impairment: A 12-month randomized controlled trial
Beneficial Effects of Docosahexaenoic Acid on Cognition in Age-Related Cognitive Decline
Effect of folic acid combined with docosahexaenoic acid intervention on mild cognitive impairment in elderly: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Coronary artery disease ✪✪✪✪✪
An increase in dietary DHA intake may reduce the risk of death in patients with coronary artery disease. It should be noted that studies highlight a cardioprotective effect, but no effect on the progression of atherosclerosis. The likely explanation is that omega-3 fatty acids modulate the electrical activity of the heart and produce a "stabilizing" effect that protects in the event of a heart attack.
Posologie
Oral administration
800 mg
fish oil
Synergies
AMD ✪✪✪✪✪
An increase in dietary DHA intake is associated with a decreased risk of AMD. Preliminary clinical research shows that taking a combination of 280 mg DHA, 12 mg lutein, and 0.6 mg zeaxanthin per day for one year increases macular pigment optical density by 31% compared with placebo in patients with AMD. Increased macular pigment optical density is associated with improved visual performance and a reduced risk of AMD.
Posologie
Oral administration
280 mg
12 months
fish oil
Synergies
Prospective study of dietary fat and the risk of age-related macular degeneration
Nutrition and the aging retina: A comprehensive review of the relationship between nutrients and their role in age-related macular degeneration and retina disease prevention
Effects of lutein and docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on macular pigment optical density in a randomized controlled trial
Properties
Neurological
In healthy subjects, DHA increases activation of the prefrontal cortex during sustained attention. In animals, injection of DHA shortly after a spinal cord injury, followed by adding DHA to the diet, provides neuroprotective effects, notably an increase in the survival of glial cells responsible for protecting nervous tissue. In vitro research suggests that neuroprotectin D1 — a mediator derived from DHA — improves inflammatory signaling and neuronal dysfunctions related to beta-amyloid peptides (a small protein harmful to the central nervous system in certain circumstances, such as in Alzheimer’s disease). Laboratory and animal studies also suggest that DHA levels in the brain regulate glucose uptake in the brain by acting on glucose transporters.
Usages associés
Vision
According to laboratory research, DHA plays an important role in the development and maintenance of the retina, where DHA constitutes 60% of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Laboratory research suggests that neuroprotectin D1 — a mediator derived from DHA — may counteract aging or degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelial cells and photoreceptor cells.
Usages associés
Essential
There is interest in using DHA supplements for the development of young children. Some data suggest that infants who do not receive DHA from breast milk or infant formula have delayed development of visual acuity compared with those who receive an adequate amount. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids make up one-third of all lipids in the brain's gray matter. DHA is considered important for normal neuronal function and may play a key role in the structural development of neuronal and synaptic membranes. DHA accumulates rapidly in the human brain during the third trimester of pregnancy and in the early postnatal period. The accumulation of DHA and other fatty acids during this period leads to rapid development and growth of brain tissues. Insufficient availability of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA during fetal and infant development is considered a contributing factor to the development of behavioral, functional, and neurological disorders. Higher maternal plasma DHA levels at birth may also be associated with greater central nervous system maturity in newborns, as reflected by sleep-wake patterns.
Usages associés
Lipid-lowering
DHA appears to reduce serum triglycerides. However, it does not increase HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins, the "good" cholesterol) in the majority of studies, although it may increase the HDL-2 fraction in some studies. DHA does not appear to lower total cholesterol.
Usages associés
Anti-inflammatory
The anti-inflammatory effects associated with DHA may be related to its metabolites that act as messengers. nnIndeed, resolvins (derived from DHA) can affect inflammatory mediators and inflammatory cells. Omega-3s partially replace arachidonic acid (AA) — which is a pro-inflammatory derivative originating from omega-6 — because they compete with AA for the enzymes required for its synthesis, such as cyclooxygenase (COX). As a side note, COX is an enzyme targeted by aspirin — the well-known nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory — to reduce inflammation.nn
Cardiovascular
DHA appears to decrease blood viscosity and increase the deformability of red blood cells, which helps prevent the occurrence of thromboses. Several clinical trials have shown that DHA can reduce blood pressure. Although the mechanism is not clear, DHA appears to improve vasodilation in men with hyperlipidemia, but not in healthy young adults. nn
Usages associés
Safe dosage
Adults 18 years and older: 250 mg - 3000 mg (oil)
The minimum physiological requirement for DHA is 250 mg per day for adults.
Children aged 2 to 18 years: 250 mg (oil)
Foods intended for children aged 2 to 18 years should provide a daily intake of 250 mg of DHA in one or more servings.
Infants aged 6 to 24 months: 100 mg (oil)
Foods intended for infants aged 6 months to 2 years should provide a daily intake of 100 mg of DHA in one or more servings.
Pregnant women: 250 mg - 450 mg (oil)
Breastfeeding women: 250 mg - 450 mg (oil)
Interactions
Médicaments
Antidiabetic medications: moderate interaction
DHA appears to increase fasting blood glucose in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Theoretically, DHA may interfere with antidiabetic medications and reduce their effects.
Antihypertensive medications: moderate interaction
Fish oils containing DHA may lower blood pressure and have additive effects in patients treated with antihypertensive medications.
Plantes ou autres actifs
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): low interaction
Omega-3s may reduce selenium absorption.
