In addition to the benefits already discussed in the summary questions, research provides other advantages of DHA supplementation.
- DHA has anti-inflammatory properties. It is this property of DHA that is thought to decrease liver inflammation and thereby lowering liver function tests in Zellweger patients.
Vedin I et al. (1 June 2008). “Effects of docosahexaenoic acid–rich n–3 fatty acid supplementation on cytokine release”. Am J Clin Nutr 87 (6): 1616–1622. PMID 18541548
Kelley DS et al. DHA supplementation decreases serum C-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation in hypertriglyceridemic men. J Nutr. 2009 Mar;139(3):495-501. Epub 2009 Jan 21.
- DHA decreases the frequency of seizures.
Yuen, A. W.; Sander, J. W.; Fluegel, D; Patsalos, P. N.; Bell, G. S.; Johnson, T; Koepp, M. J. (2005). “Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients with chronic epilepsy: A randomized trial”. Epilepsy & Behavior 7(2): 253–8. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2005.04.014. PMID 16006194
- DHA has anti-depressive properties.
McNamara RK, Hahn CG, Jandacek R et al. (2007). “Selective deficits in the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid in the postmortem orbitofrontal cortex of patients with major depressive disorder“. Biol. Psychiatry 62 (1): 17–24. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.08.026.PMID 17188654.
- DHA as the principal fatty acid in the brain has neurotrophic and neuroprotective properties.
Bazan, N. G.; Molina, M. F.; Gordon, W. C. (2011). “Docosahexaenoic acid signalolipidomics in nutrition: Significance in aging, neuroinflammation, macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases”. Annual Review of Nutrition 31: 321–51.doi:10.1146/annurev.nutr.012809.104635. PMC 3406932.PMID 21756134.
Lukiw WJ, Cui JG, Marcheselli VL, Bodker M, Botkjaer A, Gotlinger K, Serhan CN, Bazan NG.; Cui; Marcheselli; Bodker; Botkjaer; Gotlinger; Serhan; Bazan (October 2005). “A role for docosahexaenoic acid-derived neuroprotectin D1 in neural cell survival and Alzheimer disease“. J Clin Invest. 115 (10): 2774–83. doi:10.1172/JCI25420. PMC 1199531.PMID 16151530.
Serhan CN, Gotlinger K, Hong S, Arita M; Gotlinger; Hong; Arita (2004). “Resolvins, docosatrienes, and neuroprotectins, novel omega-3-derived mediators, and their aspirin-triggered endogenous epimers: an overview of their protective roles in catabasis”. Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat. 73(3–4): 155–72. doi:10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2004.03.005.PMID 15290791
- DHA is a key factor in stimulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3208643/
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/26695415
https://www.ibp.ucla.edu/research/GomezPinilla/publications/Diet1457.pdf