On Fri, 6 Nov 1998 02:51:29 -0600, Peter Brandt
<[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>On the contrary it is clear from reading his book that DHA levels of only
>2-3% in mother's milk may be dangerously low and cause irreversible damage
>to the fast-developing infant brain.  "Smart Fats" is a most read for any
>vegan/vegetarian woman or anybody interested in learning about the crucial
>role EFA's play in brain nourishment.
>
>...The low level of DHA in the milk of American omnivorous
>mothers is most likely linked to high intake of trans-fatty acids, which
>have been shown to interfere with the uptake of DHA.  As for the British
>vegetarian mothers it seems quite clear that the problem is their DHA
>deficient d
iet.

These are interesting facts.
It points very much towards the detrimental effects of the
trans-fatty-acids.
They also have a stronger link to heart/coronary deseases
as saturated fats.
One more time the statement becomes true:
"Don't eat processed food".
A big plus for a paleo-attempt of nutrition.

I hope that the numbers you gave
for DHA (in babies' red blood-cells) are not too
> ....dangerously low and cause irreversible damage
>to the fast-developing infant brain.....
And I hope Dr.Schmidt is wrong with his assumption
which the adequate values were,
because that was really bad news for the american
babies (vegetarian or omnivore).

You mentioned:
6% DHA british omnivore mothers
3% DHA american omnivore mothers
2% DHA britisch vegetarian mothers.

You link the vegetarians' lower values to the w-3 fat intake,
which was harder to get for
 vegetetarians.
This may be the case, but obviously other reasons can be far more
dominating,
as the british to american example shows.

Anyway the reason, why vegetarians babies show lower values,
may be the same, that is between american and britishn.
Trans-fatty acids for example. Many vegetarians favour
artificially produced things like margarine or
"vegetarian pies" produced with hydrogenated oil.
Did the study you are referring to mention only the
average DHA or are the variations high/low for vegetarians'
values available?

>....Not quite, omnivores can get adequate amounts of DHA without having to
eat
>brains.
Which one would you mention first as w-3 fat sources?
(Especially paleolithic ones)?

I recall that the starting point of this discussion was,
if the actual need of humans on w-3 fats to build up
our relative big brain was so high, that only animal-food sou
rces
could supply it or make its growth possible.

regards

Amadeus