DHA Memory Improvement:  The Most Important Brain Nutrient!

One of the biggest fears most people have these days is that they will lose their mental capacities as they grow old without DHA memory improvement. And there is good reason to be concerned. Levels of Alzheimer's disease and other age-related mental disorders are a definite threat to the older population.

But the good news is that there are plenty of brain nutrients out there that can help prevent some of these illnesses, and even restore lost brain function to some extent. Probably the most important of all of these nutrients is DHA, which has no shortage of press these days. While most of us are aware that DHA is good for the brain, very few know why or how.

DHA (DocosaHexaenoic Acid)is a fatty acid that is located at the end of the omega-3 pathway. It has an affinity for brain and eye tissue. It is found in other tissue as well, but its influence is not as great.

It is an important part of sperm and also breast milk, since that is the way baby's get DHA from their mothers for brain development. The omega-3 fatty acids are some of the least abundant nutrients in the American diet. They are extremely important for a number of functions, so it makes sense to try to incorporate them into a supplement regimen and into the diet.

For years we believed that DHA was only available from animals, mostly from fish body and liver oils. While the majority of the products on the market are still from cod liver oil or fish oil, we are starting to see a larger variety of sources. Krill, sand eel and calamari are the most popular newcomers, but there is now an abundance of algae-based DHA products out there.

This is great for vegans and vegetarians, who until now had no direct source of DHA without incorporating fish into their diets. We now know that fish don't actually make DHA, but instead get it from algae or by eating other fish who ate the algae. This is also great news because the algae can be grown in large tanks in controlled environments, without worrying about overcrowding and waste products associated with fish farms.

There are 3 major mechanisms to consider:

1.  DHA is anti-inflammatory, which protects the brain from damage.
2.  It maintains the integrity of the cell membrane, which enhances communication between brain cells. This is extremely important for memory.
3.  It actually helps heal already-damaged brain tissue via compounds called protectins. In fact this is what DHA does as soon as the brain is damaged by stroke, seizure or any other traumatic injury. So not having enough DHA can be detrimental in these cases, since the brain cannot heal itself as efficiently as it could with healthy DHA levels.

So it should be pretty obvious why DHA is important for the brain. If you are interested in increasing your DHA levels, we have a huge selection of products that can help you do so, as well as a knowledgeable staff to help you select the right product for your health needs. Please don't hesitate to stop by our store here in Atlanta, or feel free to call us at 404-266-9115.