DHA & Pregnancy

DHA & Pregnancy

Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid representing more than 90% of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain and retina. DHA is particularly important during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy through to breastfeeding, and is proven to play a significant role in fetal: brain, cognitive, visual, nervous, and motor skill development.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding when rapid fetal brain and central nervous system development occurs, DHA requirements increase significantly. Inadequate intake of dietary or supplemental DHA can deprive you and your child of much-needed DHA for optimal development.

DHA is available in two forms – Triglyceride (TG) or Ethyl Ester (EE). TG DHA is the natural triglyceride form found in food and fish, whereas EE DHA is the potentially toxic ethanol (alcohol) form. Unlike EE DHA which has an ethyl ester backbone, TG DHA has a natural glycerol backbone offering superior absorption without the risk of toxicity.

Manufacturing a highly-concentrated DHA oil requires the temporary separation of the glycerol backbone. Once further processing has been completed and a highly-concentrated DHA oil has been produced, either a glycerol backbone or an ethyl ester backbone can be added. Due to the high cost of restoring the original triglyceride structure which is only achievable by adding a glycerol backbone, most manufacturers use an ethyl ester backbone by reacting the DHA oil with ethanol.

The source of DHA is also very important, as DHA can be extracted either from fish (fish-based DHA) or plants (plant-based DHA). Leading research suggests that fish-based DHA is superior and does not contain Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) – an omega-3 fatty acid only found in plants. ALA does not offer the health benefits of DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids; particularly during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and is poorly converted from ALA to DHA, with an estimated conversion rate of only 2%-3%.

Introducing UltraDHA™ (TG DHA Omega-3 Oil) - the purest and highest quality TG DHA omega-3 oil available. UltraDHA™ (TG DHA Omega-3 Oil) is a fish-based DHA oil containing an original triglyceride structure. TG DHA is proven to be up to 70% more bioavailable than regular EE DHA.

DHA supplementation during pregnancy and breastfeeding is also proven to increase the IQ of children at 4-years of age. Specifically, a correlation between mental processing skills and head circumference has been identified, and an inadequate supply of DHA during pregnancy and throughout lactation may result in a smaller head circumference.

Women with low levels of DHA and omega-3 fatty acids are also 7.6 times more likely to experience pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia. A small 15% increase in the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids can reduce the chances of preeclampsia by up to 46%; highlighting the importance of supplementing with UltraDHA™ (DHA Omega-3 Oil) to increase and sustain your breast milk DHA levels during pregnancy and throughout lactation.

Vertili™ is formulated with 400mg of UltraDHA™ (TG DHA Omega-3 Oil) per serving - 200% of the RDI for pregnant women; providing your body with an ultra-pure DHA oil which is vital during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

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