If you’re not a big fan of fish, we’ve got bad news for you. There’s yet another reason why fish and seafood might be an important part of your diet. Certain types of fish contain DHA, a type of Omega-3 fatty acid that plays a role in overall health and wellness. In fact, Omega-3’s like DHA have been found to not only support general health, but to help support pregnancy health and overall health for kids. But if you can’t eat fish, or you or your kids just don’t like it, there are plenty of other ways to get Omega-3 DHA into your daily routine. Keep reading to learn more about DHA and how to get it.

What Is DHA?

DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid (say that 10 times fast!). DHA is just one type of Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of healthy fat that human bodies need in order to function properly. But our bodies don’t make Omega-3 fatty acids like DHA on their own so we have to consume them through our food or through dietary supplements. More on that later!

THE BENEFITS OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

Omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA, have a lot of impressive health benefits. For example, Omega-3 fatty acids may play a role in adults’ general overall wellness. Omega-3 also helps support adults’ heart health.

Your OBGYN may recommend that you take DHA during your pregnancy as one of several key nutrients that can help support pregnancy health. And Omega-3 fatty acids like DHA also can help support children’s overall health and wellness.

FOODS WITH OMEGA-3 DHA

B vitamins are found in a wide variety of foods, so it may be possible to get B vitamins from your diet. Here some good food sources of each type of B vitamin:

As we mentioned, our bodies don’t have an in-house system for manufacturing DHA or other Omega-3’s. But they’re pretty important to our overall functioning at just about any age, for men and women.

So if you want to consume more Omega-3, especially DHA, add these foods to your weekly shopping list:

Fish

Cold-water fish like salmon, tuna and halibut are excellent sources of Omega-3 DHA. Try making fish for dinner one or two nights a week.

Exception: if you’re pregnant, the FDA and EPA recommends that you limit or completely avoid eating certain types of fish. According to these recommendations¹, pregnant women may eat salmon two or three times a week, and halibut no more than once a week. But they should completely avoid high-mercury fish like tuna during pregnancy. Yep, if you didn’t know it already, that spicy tuna sushi roll you’re craving really is a no-no! Keep reading for other non-seafood ways to include Omega-3 DHA in your daily routine.

Omega-3 Eggs

Swap out your usual carton of eggs for Omega-3 fortified eggs. Hens on a DHA-supplemented diet lay these special eggs. Just look for “Omega-3 eggs” right on the package!

Seaweed

Sushi lovers, rejoice! Seaweed is an excellent vegetarian source of DHA. Dried seaweed also makes a delicious, low-calorie snack.

Nuts & Seeds

As long as you’re not allergic, consuming nuts and seeds can help you consume more DHA. Try adding flax seeds to a breakfast smoothie. Or make a chia seed pudding for dessert.

Soybeans

Soybeans are another excellent plant-based source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Plus, they’re a good source of fiber, which is important to your digestive health.

WHAT IF MY KID IS A PICKY EATER?

Parents, don’t worry if your kids won’t eat most of the DHA foods above like fish, seaweed and soybeans! You can be sure your little picky eater is getting Omega-3 DHA by giving them L’il Critters^TM Omega-3 gummies. The delicious raspberry lemonade flavors appeal to even the pickiest eaters, so your kids will love the taste and will actually want to take their vitamins.

WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE FISH?

If you’re not a big fan of fish yourself, we have good news for you too. vitafusion makes an Omega-3 supplement for adults, vitafusion Omega-3 gummy for men and women provides 50 mg combined of Omega-3 DHA and EPA (another type of Omega-3) in each serving to help support adults’ heart health and their general overall wellness.*

WHAT IF I’M PREGNANT?

If you’re pregnant, by now you’re probably thinking that these recommendations for DHA are a catch-22. Your OBGYN may be telling you to take DHA for pregnancy health. But they may also be telling you to cut back on eating fish, especially higher-mercury varieties like tuna that happen to have lots of DHA.

So if you’re looking to add DHA into your daily routine without eating fish, ask your OBGYN about taking vitafusion PreNatal gummies. The delicious gummies contain 50 mg of Omega-3 DHA to help support expectant moms’ everyday health. Plus, vitafusion gummies contain no iron so they’re gentle on the stomach, which is especially helpful if your pregnancy is making you feel a little queasy.*

We love sharing our insights about vitamins and health. But that doesn’t mean it should be a substitute for professional medical advice. For that, you should talk to your doctor!

¹ Food and Drug Administration, HHS. “Advice About Eating Fish, From the Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration”; 2017. (www.federalregister.gov)