Vegan source of DHA
I have heard there is a plant source of DHA available, which is suitable for vegans. I have asked everywhere and nobody can tell me where to get it - can you help?
You are correct that DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) - the essential fatty acid that most non-vegan people get from fish oils - can be sourced from plants but the bad news is, the only single supplement I know of that contains plant-sourced DHA comes in gelatin capsules. And since gelatin is a by-product of the slaughterhouse, this is not an option for vegans.
One of the reasons there are not lots of plant-sourced DHA supplements on the market, I suspect, is that going to the original DHA source; i.e. the sea plants or algae that fish themselves obtain their fatty acids from, is more expensive than harvesting this nutrient from fish.
What you can take is a ready-made combination formula designed for pregnancy which includes DHA sourced from algae (which is thus, vegan) and which lots of people seeking a vegan source of DHA take, regardless of whether they are pregnant or not.
The Sage Organics dual pack for pregnancy includes both herbs and nutrients designed to support the health of the mother and developing baby and includes a 10mg dosage of DHA sourced from algae. The pack costs £8.99 and is available direct from Sage Organic on 01672 811777. You need, however, to be aware this is a maintainence and not a therapeutic dosage. In other words, if you need DHA to tackle a specific problem, such as heart disease or dyslexia, this dosage is not high enough.
DHA, by the way, is naturally present in human breast milk and trials have shown that infants fed standard formula milk have much lower levels of this fatty acid, which is crucial for brain development, than those who have been breast-fed.
Post-publication note: Healthspan produces Cerebrum, a vegetarian DHA in gelatine free capsules, each capsule providing 100mg DHA sourced from algae. 120 capsules cost £13.95. Details available from www.healthspan.co.uk.