Valerie:  I agree completely about the financial incentives to push DHA
universally to all.  However, we DO have documented research showing that in
the US, probably due to dietary shifts, we have had a decline in DHA levels.
The Neuromins supplements are being pushed heavily even to non-bf moms.  I
see the adds all the time as I have my nutrition students look for
advertisements and critique them.

 According to Whitney and Sizer's Concepts and Controversies (paraphrased)
Linolenic acid is the primary member of the omega-3 fatty acid family.  This
family has come to be appreciated for its role in health.  Someone thought
to ask why the native pepole of Greenland and Alaska, who eat a diet very
high in fat, have such a low death rate from heart disease.  The trail led
to the abundance of fish and other marine life that they eat, then to the
oils int hose fish, and finally to two omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, in
the oils.  Since then, research has revealed that these fatty acids make up
a large part of the brain's thinking component, the cerebral cortex, and of
the eye's main center of vision, the retina, and are necessary for the
normal development of these organs.  Additionally, Omega-3 FA are converted
to hormone-like products that affect the heart and immune function.    Human
milk, along with shellfish, fish (cold water fatty fish), and supplements
are our main sources; however, the percentage in human milk is directly
correlated to the diet of the woman.

Chris Hafner-Eaton, PhD, MPH, CHES, IBCLC    [log in to unmask]
mom, wife, educator, lactation consultant, researcher, scientist, author,
organic gardener, photographer, lapidary creator, lousy cleaner.

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