If you have a student in the family who needs help concentrating, you may want to consider supplying them with a daily DHA supplement. DHA—which stands for docosahexaenoic acid—is one of the essential fatty acids that are critical for optimal health. The body cannot synthesize essential fatty acids, so they need to be ingested via foods or supplements. Now a new observational study from Chile has shown that students performed better on university selection tests when they had higher DHA levels in their blood. DHA supports cognitive function The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Chile, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Universidad de Los Andes, and the Universidad del Desarrollo. Results were published in the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids. To conduct the study researchers started with an initial cohort of 671 high school graduates who were applying to college. The applicants were then divided into two testing groups which were given different daily supplement regimens. Researchers then limited their analysis to the teens with the highest and lowest scholastic achievement, giving them data on 122 participants. According to the summary written by the researchers, “The results of this study highlight the importance of DHA in their association with the learning process at the school level. “Therefore, these findings can be useful for nutrition of fatty acids, health and educational planning, in order to protect children starting from an early age and so increase their school outcomes.” In addition to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), other essential fatty acids include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Optimal E.F.A. from Optimal Health Systems provides a blend of DHA, ALA and GLA oils, all from safe plant sources. - - - Source: Journal of Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids [PLEFA.com].
