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docosahexaenoic acid

docosahexaenoic acid

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A healthy fat in fish like salmon and tuna that helps the brain and eyes develop
  • noun
  • /ˌdoʊkəˌsɑːhɛkˈseɪnoʊɪk ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
: ácido docosahexaenoico
  • You can ignore the requirement of our brain for certain key minerals and fats such as iron, iodine, copper, zinc, and selenium, arachidonic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid.
  • docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
  • eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid

Examples

  • ISSFAL looked at the research, and n-3 alpha-linolenic acid does not readily convert into n-3 docosahexaenoic acid in humans.

    Blog text (28)
  • Many nutritionists recommend increasing your intake of docosahexaenoic acid by eating oily fish regularly.

  • In the freshwater fish, docosahexaenoic acid content ranged from 8.6% to 19.1%, eicosapentaenoic acid from 1.8% to 4.2%, and arachidonic acid from 5.8% to 8.0%.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The n-3 to n-6 ratio was nearly four times higher in fish-eating than in vegetarian participants, and the ratios of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid to arachidonic acid were also higher.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Consuming docosahexaenoic acid during pregnancy supports the development of the baby's brain and eyes.

  • Docosahexaenoic acid is crucial for brain health and can be found in fatty fish like tuna.

Surface Forms

Morphology

docosahexaenoic + acid

This is a compositional chemical name: the adjective specifies a particular type (docosahexaenoic, here an omega‑3 descriptor) and 'acid' identifies it as a chemical substance. If a learner knows the constituent meanings, the combined meaning ('a specific omega‑3 fatty acid') is directly derivable, despite the term being technical.

Etymology

Docosahexaenoic acid gets its name from its parts: docosa means '22', hexa means 'six', and acid shows it is a fatty acid. So the name is a simple code saying this fat has '22' carbon atoms and 'six' double bonds, and that is why scientists call it 'DHA' and use it for brain and eye health.