DHA – Esencijalna omega-3 masna kiselina

Čuli ste za DHA i vjerojatno znate da je to esencijalna masna kiselina. Ali zašto se ova omega-3 masna kiselina smatra esencijalnom?

Pročitajte više članaka o omega-3

Dokozaheksaenska kiselina (DHA) jedna je od dugolančanih omega-3 masnih kiselina koja ima dokazane zdravstvene prednosti za tijelo. Neophodan je za održavanje normalnog rada srca i očiju, a nalazi se u mozgu, koži i očima. Također dokazano doprinosi normalnom radu srca.

DHA se može proizvesti u tijelu iz kratkolančane omega-3 masne kiseline ALA (koju unosimo kroz razne biljne namirnice kao što su sjemenke lana, chia sjemenke i orasi), ali je stopa konverzije niska, često manja od 1% . Način da povećate količinu DHA u svom tijelu je jedenje masne ribe ili uzimanje dodatka ulja jetre bakalara. Kako se DHA prirodno nalazi u ribama 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 (tj. fitoplankton). Ribe biljojedi jedu ove organizme i pohranjuju omega-3 masne kiseline kao što su EPA i DHA u svoje masno tkivo.

Koncentracija DHA i EPA razlikuje se u različitim vrstama riba i može se mijenjati između godišnjih doba. Stoga morate biti svjesni razlike između masne i nemasne ribe. Primjeri nemasne ribe su bakalar, iverak i vahnja. Iako se bakalar smatra nemasnom ribom, njegova jetra sadrži značajnu količinu omega-3 masnih kiselina. Primjeri masne ribe su skuša, inćun, losos i haringa, a sve sadrže približno iste količine omega-3. Količina omega-3 u jestivim dijelovima (filetima) masne ribe veća je nego u nemasnoj ribi.

DHA za zdravlje mozga i očiju

Važna komponenta tjelesnih staničnih membrana, DHA je posebno istaknuta u membranama moždanih stanica i mrežnice. DHA čini 90% omega-3 masnih kiselina prisutnih u mozgu i do 25% ukupnog sadržaja masti u mozgu.

DHA se uglavnom nalazi u sivoj tvari mozga. Ovi dijelovi mozga odgovorni su za obradu informacija, sjećanja i emocija, a važni su i za društveni, emocionalni i bihevioralni razvoj.

Održavanje normalne funkcije mozga i očiju važna je prednost DHA. Ovi blagotvorni učinci postižu se unosom 250 mg DHA dnevno.

Optimalna količina omega-3

Općenito se preporučuje da 1% energije iz hrane dolazi iz omega-3 masnih kiselina. S prosječnim dnevnim unosom od 2200 kcal, to odgovara otprilike 2 grama omega-3, uključujući ALA i druge omega-3 masne kiseline.

Za održavanje normalne funkcije srca, mozga i očiju preporučuje se dnevni unos od 250 mg DHA i EPA. Žlica (5 ml) ulja jetre bakalara osigurava 1,2 g omega-3 masnih kiselina, od kojih se 1 g sastoji od EPA plus DHA, uz preporučeni NHS unos od 10 µg dnevno vitamina D.

Djeca i DHA

DHA je važna u djetinjstvu jer se mozak nastavlja razvijati sve do odrasle dobi. Dnevni unos od 250 mg DHA pomaže u održavanju normalne funkcije mozga.

Ne jedu sva djeca 2-3 obroka masne ribe tjedno, a ulje jetre bakalara dobar je alternativni izvor DHA, EPA, uz vitamin D.

Trudnoća i DHA

Tijekom trudnoće i dojenja unos DHA je posebno važan i za majku i za bebu. To je zato što majčin unos DHA (200 mg dnevno), doprinosi normalnom razvoju mozga i očiju fetusa i bebe koja doji.

Tijelo zahtijeva brzu i učinkovitu akumulaciju specifičnih masnih kiselina tijekom trudnoće. Te masne kiseline uključuju AA (arahidonsku kiselinu) i DHA u mozgu dojenčadi, DHA u očima i AA u svim stanicama tijela.

Da bi se postigla korisna učinkovitost DHA, trudnica ili dojilja trebala bi dnevno unositi 200 mg DHA, uz dnevni unos od 250 mg DHA i EPA za.

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.