I got an e-mail from Sue Ann Kendall this morning asking me to respond to a
query about one of my posts on her home-page in which I extol the virtues of
breast milk over formula because breast milk contains DHA (docosahexaenoic
acid, one of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids), which is thought
to be essential for proper brain growth and retinal development.  The
e-mailer wanted to know the references.  I sent him a huge list of recent
medical journal articles (e-mail me privately if you would like a copy of
this).  He just called to tell me who he was and why he was interested (and
to thank me for the list of refs.).

Turns out he works for a Japanese company newly set up in California that
produces (extracts?) DHA from tuna eyeballs (I kid you not).  They are
hoping to market DHA in the U.S. as an additive to formulas, as a supplement
to babies on DHA-lacking formula, and just as a general dietary supplement.
Bizarro!  I put in my plug for promotion of breastfeeding.  He was very
polite.  I offered to send him the abstracts I printed out this morning and
he said he would send me the literature from his company and some samples!
What have I got myself in for?  He assures me the DHA oil or powder does not
taste or smell like fish.  Can't you just see the formula ads now:

Choose Similac, made with fish eyeballs!

By the way, his company is called "Intelligent Choices, Inc."  Duh, the
intelligent choice is breastfeeding.  Am I aiding and abetting the enemy????
He said the head of NIH was extremely interested in his company and their
products......




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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.                         email: [log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352