Dr. Sarah Schenker is joining us this week to answer your questions on DHA and its importance for brain development, particularly in young children. DHA makes up 97% of the omega-3 fatty acids in the brain, and yet, children do not often have enough of it in their diet.
Dr Sarah Schenker is a qualified Registered Dietitian, Accredited Sports Dietitian and Registered Public Health Nutritionist. Sarah is a member of the British Dietetic Association, The Nutrition Society and has served on both professional and government committees including the British Nutrition Foundation. Send your questions to Dr Schenker before midday on Wednesday 5 December and we'll publish and link to the answers on Thursday 13 December.
Dr Schenker says: "Recently published research conducted at the university of Oxford suggests that for children ages 7-9, who are underperforming in reading, a healthy diet that achieves 600 mg of DHA daily may support improvements in reading, memory and behavior. Clinical studies have also indicated that prenatal algal DHA supplementation increased DHA blood levels in both the mother and newborn, as well as infant birth weight, length and head circumference".
Dr. Schenker will be able to explain the findings of these studies and recommended dosage at different stages for both mother and child. She will also be able to answer questions on what you need to know about DHA, the importance of DHA through the different stages of childhood, how it can make a difference in a child's ability to perform in school and the sources of DHA, such as the lesser known algal sources. Algal DHA is a completely vegetarian, sustainable source that is free from any ocean borne contaminants.
This Q&A is sponsored by LifesDHA. For more information on the topic of DHA and Algal DHA in particular visit: www.lifesdha.com/