On Sun, 1 Nov 1998 22:04:08 -0600, Peter Brandt
<[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>Amadeus?:
>>>Human baby's are not dependent on DHA/EPA in the food.
>

>Dr. Michael A. Schmidt in his book "Smart Fats" states that DHA is crucial
>for the full development of the infant brain.  A paragraph in the book is
>called "Caution for Vegetarian Mothers":
>
>"Vegetarian mothers must be especially aware that they get adequate DHA
>during pregnancy and while breast feeding, since vegans and vegetarians
>have been shown to have significantly lower DHA in breast milk.
This seems to clear up the question if DHA was in breast milk -
as opposed to the analysis in the USDA database.
If USDA-tested mil
k didn't contain it (and they probably didn't test
only vegetarian women), then missing DHA might be a common problem
- or - it's not really a problem as Dr.Schmidt supposes.

> Their
>babies also show lower DHA.  For example, Australian and British babies fed
>milk from omnivore mothers have about six percent DHA in the red blood
>cells.  American infants have about three percent.  British infants fed
>milk from vegetarian mothers have only two percent DHA in their cells.

Interesting numbers.
British vegetarian mothers' babies seem to have about the
same DHA (2%) as American omnivores' babies (3%).

There must be a factor that is much more relevant than beeing
vegetarian
- and this factor can be found between british and american nutrition.

I guess it's *not* eating brains. In GB eating brains is a no-no since
many years, because of a ban and the BSE-risks.

>Us
ing flax seed oil as a source of alpha-linolenic acid has been used by
>many vegetarian mothers in hopes of increasing their DHA levels.  However,
>conversion of ALA to DHA appears to be insufficient for a pregnant or
>nursing mother."
I know a lot of vegetarians and few of them like flax oil - because of
its
taste.
Most eat much of dairy and dairy fats.
Many misuse fats like sunflower oil for cooking.
If someone buys a small flax oil bottle he or she feels fine about
beeing so
health-conscious, but compared to the all-over fat intake its peanuts.

Same thing like hardly anyone here seems to like brain, isn't it?

>Best, Peter

regards

Amadeus

(yes it's my name, not a nick
has nothing to do with my music performance skills -
more with my father's whishes on that :-) )