For years now obstetricians have been telling pregnant women to include more omega 3 fatty acids in their diet, particularly DHA. DHA is not only required to maintain proper health, but is critical for fetal development as it is a vital framework of the central nervous system. The developing brain will not develop properly without enough DHA. Fish oil has always been a common source of these essential fatty acids, but there has always been the concern about the contaminants in fish oil such as heavy metals, PCBs, flame retardants, and more. Even though most high quality fish oil has been molecularly distilled to remove contaminants, pregnant women are well served to be as careful about what they eat as anything they ingest may be worse for a developing fetus than for the mothers themselves. Supplements have always been an easy way to achieve the recommended dose of DHA without worrying about how much seafood to eat, or if it should be eaten at all, and are one of many ways to include more of these fatty acids in your diet for their benefits.

Algae are the original source of DHA for all marine life. The omega 3 fatty acid moves up the food chain and concentrates in fish. But a person could, theoretically, eat enough algae to ensure they get the recommended dose of DHA, but that doesn’t make practical sense. There are companies making supplements, sometimes referred to as ‘prenatal vitamins’ from omega 3 fatty acids derived from algae, however. And not just one, so there are now many options from pregnant and lactating women.

It started about 10 years ago with a pioneering company called Martek Biosciences. They developed a strain of algae that produced a large quantity of recoverable DHA and began to sell it in the form of supplements, and to makes of infant formula. While it was expensive, this was acceptable to many who valued its pure source and therefore lack of risk of contaminants. Over time, their DHA became cheaper, and other companies followed suit and began deriving DHA from algae and selling prenatal vitamins and vegetarian supplements, finding the right markets for their products. But this also meant that algae based DHA supplements were becoming more commoditized. This is not good for companies tying to be profitable as margins are squeezed by lower prices. So the next race is now on.

Providing a safe omega 3 supplement for pregnant and lactating women was merely the first lap in the race. The next lap is providing the right prenatal vitamin. While there is no FDA recommendation for daily DHA consumption, a number of studies have indicated that pregnant and lactating women should be taking 300 milligrams of DHA per day (see my work on Omega 3 Fatty Acids (DHA) During Pregnancy & Breastfeeding for more information and data sources). So, with that in mind, selection of a prenatal vitamin or supplement that includes this recommended dose is now an important decision. The initial round of omega 3 supplements targeted to this market usually contained 200 milligrams of DHA. For years this was the norm, but more recently, some manufacturers are making supplements that contain over 300 mg of plant based DHA. This means fewer pills to take and more DHA available to the mother and developing baby.

While the supplements with 200 mg of DHA are still fine, and no one thinks that a little less will actually harm a developing fetus, many people prefer to follow the suggestions that more recent studies indicate. Personally, I foresee more omega 3 supplement and prenatal vitamin companies bumping up their level of DHA as more demand for higher concentrations arises. I personally have no preference of one brand over another, and now that my children have all arrives, my wife and I are back on molecularly distilled fish oil, but when my friends ask, I always recommend plant based DHA supplements with at least 300 mg of DHA for pregnant women, as indicated by the studies. What will the nest lap be? I won’t speculate just yet, but the companies I watch are beginning to do some very interesting things.

Taking any kind of supplement or vitamin while pregnant is a personal choice, and one should always speak with their doctor prior to doing so, but I find it interesting that every pregnant friend I ask tells me their OB has suggested they take omega 3 or specifically DHA supplements. Making an informed decision is predicated on knowing what to look for, and I hope this entry has provided food for thought. Everyone can benefit from additional omega 3 fatty acids in their diet, and knowing what to look for should help to find the right supplement for the right purpose. The supplement race is still on, though.