Laura Ciccardi
Omega 3 Business Development Specialist
Croda Health Care, Croda International Plc Goole,
United Kingdom

Omega 3 lipids are primary building blocks for the brain and are essential for normal brain development in the early stages of life. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is the most abundant Omega 3 fatty acid in the brain and retina of the eye and is a component of the phospholipids that form the cell membranes of neurons, the foundation of the nervous system.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) itself has confirmed the importance of DHA intake not only for pregnant women and infants but also throughout different life stages of adult human beings; the EFSA Health Claims and recommended daily amounts for DHA supplementation are as follows:

• DHA contributes to normal brain and eye development of the foetus and breastfed infant (beneficial effect is obtained with a daily maternal intake of 200mg DHA in addition to the recommended adult daily intake of 250mg DHA+EPA)(1)
• DHA contributes to the normal visual development of infants up to 12 months of age (beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 100mg DHA)(1)
• DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function (beneficial effect is o ... ...
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