CHP Magazines Summer 2020-17 | Page 26

Are you getting enough DHA? Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is one of the most important omega-3 fatty acids. Like most omega-3 fats, it’s linked to many health benefits. Part of every cell in your body, DHA plays a vital role in your brain and is absolutely crucial during pregnancy and infancy. Since your body can’t produce it in adequate amounts, you need to obtain it from your diet. Did you know that the Omega 3 fatty acid DHA –which people consume fish oil for – actually has its origins in the algae that fish eat? Udo’s DHA 3•6•9 Oil Blend® is an excellent vegetarian source of algae-derived DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid). So now there’s no need to kill fish to supplement your diet with DHA! The DHA in Udo’s DHA Oil Blend is made from cultivated, unrefined algae, not fish, so it is naturally free of iodine, heavy metals and other ocean pollutants. Made without extensive filtration, molecular distillation and other types of industrial processing, it is the only unrefined algae-sourced DHA on the market. 26 Complete Health What is DHA and why is it important? DHA is one of the most important long-chain fatty acids in the omega-3 family: 97% of the fatty acids found in the brain and 93% of the fatty acids found in the retina are in the form of DHA. The body can convert DHA to EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid that is a precursor to the production of prostaglandins which help promote good health. This oil combines DHA-rich algae with a special formulation of natural, unrefined oils from fresh, certified organic flax, sunflower, sesame and evening primrose seeds as well as oils from coconut, rice and bran. No chemicals or bleaches are used on it at all. This means that the DHA oil contains a full spectrum of phospholipids like phosphatidyl choline and serine. It may also contain a small amount of harmless sediment due to being unrefined. What kind of algae is it? The algae are marine algae originating from the ocean, BUT cultivated in fresh water fermentation tanks in an indoor facility. This way contamination risks are fully controlled, so there are no PCB’s or toxins, commonly associated with regular ocean water. Because Udo’s DHA oil is made from cultivated, unrefined algae and not fish, it is completely free of mercury and other ocean-borne contaminants. As a renewable resource, tank-grown unrefined algae has no detrimental impact on worldwide fisheries. The algae used in Udo’s DHA Oil Blend® do not perform photosynthesis. They are single celled algae and are unrelated to spirulina, chlorella, or blue-green algae. They are fed glucose, oxygen, and nitrogen in order to thrive and grow; it is through this growth and fermentation that the algae produce DHA. Specifically, the DHA product used in Udo’s DHA Oil Blend is called “life’sDHA”, a vegetarian source of DHA, derived from algae by Martek Biosciences Corp. (NASDAQ:MATK). Udo’s DHA Oil Blend is simply Udo’s 3-6-9 Oil Blend with additional DHA – one of the Omega Fatty Acids commonly found in seafood. This is a vegetarian formulation.