DHA

Fatty Acid

Food Sources

Foods that contain DHA.

Algal Omega-3 Supplement
Algal oils provide DHA bioequivalent to fish oil DHA without pollutant contamination (Arterburn et al. 2007)
Source: How Not to Die
Fatty Fish
EPA and DHA are n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found abundantly in fish
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
Fish oil
Fish oil (2000 mg/day DHA plus 400 mg/day EPA) improved OA pain in overweight patients
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
Fatty fish
Unless they are eating a lot of fatty fish, they almost always need to take EPA and DHA supplements in capsule or oil form
Source: Outlive

Health conditions that DHA may influence, based on research.

Cognitive decline100-300 mg/day algae-derived DHA
RCTs showed improved cognitive function and hippocampal volume for non-fish-eaters; no benefit for general population already getting DHA from fish
Source: How Not to Age
Dementia
Docosahexaenoic acid intake enhances cognitive function and reduces the incidence of dementia
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
Osteoarthritis
EPA and DHA have demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects relevant to osteoarthritis
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
Alzheimer's disease
DHA supplementation associated with Alzheimer's disease stage in APOE e4 carriers (Yassine et al. 2017); higher levels of neuroinflammation in e4 carriers may benefit from DHA
Source: Outlive

Cognitive decline
DHA supplementation improved hippocampal volume in older adults with MCI; however Cochrane review of omega-3 for dementia treatment found no benefit; systematic reviews of prevention also mixed
Source: How Not to Age

How DHA works at a cellular level.

SupportsSupports Brain Health and Function
Fats are important for the health of our brain, much of which is composed of fatty acids. DHA and EPA are key.