ProDHA by Nordic Naturals 

Omega-3 Fish Oil

Nordic Naturals ProDHA formula is high concentration DHA supplement, encapsulated in small, easy-to-swallow soft gelatin capsules. Nordic Naturals ProDHA is a delicious way to ensure adequate intake of the essential brain nutrient, DHA.

Read Customer questions and answers about Pregnancy in our FAQ.

Nutrient Support
DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, and is an essential building block of brain & nerve tissue. DHA, cannot be synthesized by the body, and therefore must be obtained by a diet high in deep-sea cold water fish.

DHA, which constitutes approximately 40% of the brain, supports brain development during the last trimester of pregnancy when the unborn child’s demand for neurological growth increases greatly. If added to the mother’s diet, it can help prevent the depletion of the mother’s store of DHA, and support the developing baby’s essential fatty acid needs.

Currently, the proposed Adequate Intake of DHA for pregnant and lactating woman is 300 mg. per day. (ISSFAL)*

Clinical investigations are continually carried out showing the importance of DHA and Omega-3 fatty acids in maintaining optimal health.

Why Take DHA?
What is DHA? Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 essential fatty acid. Omega-3 fatty acids (along with omega-6s) are "essential" fatty acids because humans are unable to synthesize them de novo, meaning that they must be consumed via diet to meet the body's needs. DHA is found throughout the body, and the brain in particular is very rich in DHA, where it increases membrane fluidity, promotes neurite (axonal and dendritic) outgrowth, and has many other functions.

Protection Against Stress: One of the apparent benefits of DHA is to protect against the harmful effects of stress. Supplementation with DHA has been shown to reduce elevations in aggression1,[2] and hostility[3] in response to psychological stress, and may have contributed to a reduction in antisocial behaviors among prisoners given dietary supplements[4]. In addition, DHA may help to protect against the increased risk of heart attack associated with stress5 and depression6.

Learning and Cognition: Proper nutrition with omega-3s may also be important to learning ability. Dietary omega-3 deficiencies in rodents are reflected in the brain, and have been shown to impair learning ability.[7,8,9] In humans, low levels of DHA in the body and low fish consumption have been established as risk factors for age-associated cognitive impairments[10], especially Alzheimer's Disease[11,12]. One study even found that omega-3 treatment improved Alzheimer's Disease-induced cognitive impairments for six months.[13]

Pregnancy and Lactation: During pregnancy and lactation, proper nutrition with long chain omega-3s appears to be especially important for the health of both the mother and child. Inadequate maternal omega-3 intake during pregnancy is a risk factor for premature birth and low birth weight[14,15], diabetes[16], and postpartum depression[17]. DHA also appears to be very important to infants' visual and cognitive development.[18,19] A recent study showed that children whose mothers had taken cod liver oil during pregnancy and lactation had higher IQ's at age 4 than those whose mothers had taken a placebo.[20] However, it is also important to note that exposure to environmental toxins found in certain kinds of fish, are associated with increased risk for low birth weight.[21] It is therefore crucial for expecting mothers to seek out a molecularly distilled source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Alcohol's Damaging Effects: Another circumstance that increases the body's need for DHA is elevated consumption of alcohol. Although studies have not been conducted in humans, alcohol has been shown to reduce DHA levels in brain and retina[22,23], as well as liver, plasma, and red blood cells[24] in animal models of alcoholism. Low essential fatty acid intake among alcoholics may thus contribute to risk of developing liver disease[25] and to diminished retinal function[22], suggesting that frequent alcohol consumers may have a high dietary requirement for omega-3s.

Summary: Dietary DHA appears to be important for everyone to protect against the effects of stress and to promote optimal cognitive abilities. Pregnant and lactating women, as well as frequent alcohol consumers, may require additional dietary intake in order to meet their body's increased needs for DHA.

* International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids.