DHA – Esencijalna omega-3 masna kiselina

Sigurno ste čuli za DHA i vjerojato znate da je riječ o esencijalnoj masnoj kiselini. No, zašto se ova omega-3 masna kiselina smatra esencijalnom?

Dokozaheksaenska kiselina (DHA) jedna je od dugolančanih omega-3 masnih kiselina čije su zdravstvene dobrobiti za tijelo znanstveno dokazane. Ona je ključna za održavanje normalne funkcije srca i vida, a nalazi se u mozgu, koži i očima. Također je dokazano da doprinosi normalnoj funkciji srca.

Tijelo može proizvoditi DHA iz kratkolančane omega-3 masne kiseline ALA (koju unosimo putem biljnih namirnica poput sjemenki lana, chia sjemenki i oraha), ali stopa konverzije vrlo je niska, često manja od 1 %. Najbolji način za povećanje količine DHA u tijelu je konzumacija masne ribe ili dodataka prehrani poput ribljeg ulja. Budući da se DHA prirodno nalazi u ribi i algama, one se smatraju najboljim izvorima ove dugolančane omega-3 masne kiseline.

Izvori DHA

Primarni izvori morskih omega-3 masnih kiselina EPA i DHA su mikroalge (fitoplankton). Ribe biljojedi hrane se ovim organizmima i pohranjuju omega-3 masne kiseline, poput EPA i DHA, u svoje masno tkivo.

Koncentracija DHA i EPA razlikuje se među vrstama ribe i može varirati ovisno o godišnjem dobu. Zato je važno razlikovati masnu od nemasne ribe. Primjeri nemasnih riba su bakalar, iverak i koljak. Iako se bakalar smatra nemasnom ribom, njegova jetra sadrži značajnu količinu omega-3 masnih kiselina. Primjeri masnih riba su skuša, inćun, losos i haringa, a sve one imaju približno jednake količine omega-3 masnih kiselina. U jestivim dijelovima (filetima) masne ribe, količina omega-3 masnih kiselina veća je nego kod nemasnih riba.

DHA za zdravlje mozga i očiju

DHA je važna komponenta staničnih membrana, osobito membrana moždanih stanica i mrežnice oka. DHA čini 90 % omega-3 masnih kiselina u mozgu i do 25 % ukupne količine masti u mozgu.

DHA se uglavnom nalazi u sivoj tvari mozga, područjima odgovornima za obradu informacija, pamćenje i emocije, kao i za društveni, emocionalni i bihevioralni razvoj.

Održavanje normalne funkcije mozga i očiju ključne su prednosti DHA. Ovaj pozitivan učinak postiže se dnevnim unosom od 250 mg DHA.

Optimalna količina omega-3

Preporučuje se da 1 % energije iz prehrane dolazi od omega-3 masnih kiselina. Prosječni dnevni unos od 2200 kcal odgovara približno 2 grama omega-3 masnih kiselina, uključujući ALA i ostale omega-3 masne kiseline.

Za održavanje normalne funkcije srca, mozga i očiju preporučuje se dnevni unos od 250 mg DHA i EPA. Jedna čajna žličica (5 ml) ulja jetre bakalara osigurava oko 1,2 g omega-3 masnih kiselina, od čega 1 g čine EPA i DHA, te dodatno pokriva dnevnu preporuku od 10 µg vitamina D prema smjernicama zdravstvenih tijela.

Djeca i DHA

DHA je važna tijekom djetinjstva jer se mozak nastavlja razvijati sve do odrasle dobi. Dnevni unos od 250 mg DHA pomaže održati normalnu funkciju mozga.

Budući da sva djeca ne jedu 2-3 porcije masne ribe tjedno, ulje jetre bakalara odličan je alternativni izvor DHA, EPA i vitamina D.

Trudnoća i DHA

Tijekom trudnoće i dojenja, unos DHA osobito je važan za majku i dijete jer majčin dnevni unos DHA (200 mg) doprinosi normalnom razvoju mozga i očiju fetusa te dojenčeta.

Tijelo tijekom trudnoće treba brzu i učinkovitu akumulaciju specifičnih masnih kiselina, uključujući arahidonsku kiselinu (AA) i DHA u mozgu dojenčeta, DHA u očima te AA u svim stanicama tijela.

Za ostvarivanje povoljnih učinaka DHA, trudnice i dojilje trebale bi uz redoviti dnevni unos od 250 mg EPA i DHA dodatno unositi 200 mg DHA.

What is good health?

Body changes in later life call for changes in your diet

Do you have a good lifestyle?

Lifestyle simply means the way in which you live. Health and lifestyle go hand in hand. You might feel you have a good lifestyle if you are physically active, eat healthily and generally experience a sense of wellbeing. Conversely, if you want good health you should also have a good lifestyle.

Physical activity is the major contributor to a good lifestyle, but diet, drugs, stress, sleep and social conditions are also play an important role. Being able to use the body properly to avoid injury also affects lifestyle. Physical activity can also prevent depression and help you to recover more quickly from mental illness, both of which obviously affect your lifestyle.

How does the aging process affect your immune system?

Diet can be a difficult topic for many. Perhaps you eat too much or too little or maybe you find it hard to know what foods to combine to have a balanced diet. It’s also important to eat food that contains important vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, omega-3 and antioxidants. On top of all this, you also need to get enough energy, protein and the correct fatty acids. The requirement for these nutrients changes throughout your life. When you are older you also have different requirements than children and younger adults. Women also have different requirements than men. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers also have special requirements.

When you get older, you lose muscle mass and your body requires less energy and therefore less food. You may lead a less active life than you did before, which is why you require less food. However, your need for minerals, vitamins and other nutrients remains the same. Of course, there are plenty of healthy and active older people, but when you reach 70 to 80 years of age, it’s easier to become ill, especially during flu season.

Some steps you can take to improve your lifestyle and health are to:

eat a healthy and varied diet
stay active
watch your weight
avoid too much alcohol and don’t smoke
get enough sleep
think positive
practise good hygiene

What is good quality of life?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines quality of life as a state where the individual can realise their potential, cope with normal stressful situations, work in a rewarding and positive way, and be able to contribute to others and society.

Quality of life is a wide and somewhat diffuse concept that includes joy in, and a desire for, life. These are values that are rather felt than measured, which in turn are based on personal environment and choices. Quality of life doesn’t necessarily depend on being healthy or sick. It’s the moments between worries, sorrows, problems and ailments that matter. For example, if you have a chronic illness, a feeling of mastery can be important when talking about quality of life.

To sum up, quality of life is a combination of health, lifestyle, networks and social support. It’s about experiencing joy, meaning in life, satisfaction, security and a sense of belonging, as well as being able to use your strengths. It’s also about feeling interest in life, coping with everyday situations and a being committed to something or someone. If you have good quality of life, you will be able to cope better with the inevitable stressful situations in life.