Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy has been recommended by several health organizations due to its role in neural, visual, and cognitive development. There are several fat sources available on the market for the manufacture of these dietary supplements with DHA. These fat sources differ in the lipid structure in which DHA is esterified, mainly phospholipids (PL) and tri…
Dietary fat intake in pregnancy and lactation affects pregnancy outcomes and child growth, development and health. The European Commission charged the research project PERILIP, jointly with the Early Nutrition Programming Project, to develop recommendations on dietary fat intake in pregnancy and lactation. Literature reviews were performed and a consensus conference held with international expe…
Dietary components are essential for the structural and functional development of the brain. Among these, docosahexaenoic acid, 22:6n-3 (DHA), is critically necessary for the structure and development of the growing fetal brain in utero. DHA is the major n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid in brain gray matter representing about 15% of all fatty acids in the human frontal cortex. DHA affe…
Mental health illness associated with poor nutrition is a serious public concern world- wide. The most at risk individuals are children and adolescents in the developing world. Deficiencies in omega-3 DHA fatty acids have long been recognized as a major contribut- ing factor for mental health illnesses. Provision of products rich in omega-3 DHA could address this problem. But most commonly used…
Lipids influence neuronal function by modifying the characteristics of the membrane, gene expression, and cell signaling, all of which play a critical role in neurotransmission, metabolism, growth, and cell differentiation. A considerable accumulation of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) occurs in neural and retinal membranes during gestation, and it continues throughout the firs…