Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - Glossary

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Posted By on Mar 15, 2009 | 0 comments

An omega-3 fatty acid produced in the body from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – a metabolite of the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid. Fatty fish, fish oil and microalgae are dietary sources of pre-formed DHA. DHA is the most abundant essential fatty acid in the brain and is a precursor for the docosanoids, a series of hormone-like signalling molecules.

DHA and EPA play important roles in lipid metabolism, neurological development/health and disease prevention.

Author: elissa

Elissa is a former research associate with the University of California at Davis, and the author/co-author of over a dozen articles published in scientific journals. Currently a freelance writer and researcher, Elissa brings her multidisciplinary education and training to her writing on nutrition and supplements.

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