Here’s how visual acuity is affected by the duration of DHA consumption.
*Please note that this is a simplified visual demo only intended to aid in the understanding of the
subject matter.
DHA and ARA, found abundantly in the brain and retinas of breast-fed children, are essential for supporting
optimal eye and brain development¹. After birth, DHA and ARA may be converted in the body from other omega 3 and 6 fatty acids also found abundantly in the brain, but this conversion may be low².
Studies have shown that the longer a child consumes the right amount of DHA/ARA, the higher the visual acuity at 1 year of age³. And visual acuity is the best non-invasive method of determining the level of brain
development.
It has been found that both DHA and ARA rapidly accumulate in the forebrain during infancy and childhood.
Fatty acid composition of brain, retina and erythrocytes in breast- and formula-fed infants
As the child grows, DHA continues to accumulate in his or her brain, as found by Dr. Maria Makrides, Ph.D., and colleagues when they studied infants who had died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in Australia. In the same study, results indicated that the higher concentration of DHA in the brains of breast-fed infants may explain improved neurodevelopment compared with formula-fed infants. Read the full abstract of this research paper here.
Duration of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids availability in the diet and visual acuity
The indications for the findings above is defined further by Dr. Sarah E. Morale, Ph.D., and team, in their study to determine the relationship between duration of DHA and ARA supply and visual acuity. It was found that a longer duration of breast-feeding was associated with better visual acuity at 1 year of age. Read the full abstract of this research paper here.
Birch EE et al. A randomized controlled trial of early dietary supply of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and mental development in term infants. 2000; 42:174-81.
2.
Hoffman DR et al. Docosahexaenoic Acid in Red Blood Cells of Term Infants Receiving Two Levels of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 42:3
(March 2006); 287-92.
3.
Morale SE, et al. Duration of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids availability in the diet and visual acuity.
Early Hum Dev (2005); 81:197-203.
