Martek's Life's DHA Featured in Four New Products from Spectrum Organics

11/07/08 Martek Biosciences announced that life'sDHA, its patented, vegetarian form of DHA, a long chain omega-3 fatty acid essential for brain, eye and heart health, is now available in four new products from Spectrum Organics:

-- Spectrum Prenatal DHA for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers provides 200mg of life'sDHA without the risk of ocean contaminants.
-- Spectrum Toddler DHA with 125 mg of life'sDHA provides a safe, contaminant-free alternative for toddlers to get the important health benefits of DHA.
-- Spectrum Chewable Children's DHA with 125 mg of life'sDHA for brain and vision development.
-- Spectrum Vegetarian DHA with 120 mg of life'sDHA for brain, eye and heart health

Spectrum supplements are available in natural food stores nationwide, including Whole Foods stores, the leading retailer in the natural channel. Spectrum is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hain Celestial Group, a leading natural and organic food and personal care products company.

"As consumers become more aware of the benefits of DHA for pregnant women and children, they are demanding convenient, safe alternatives," said Angela Tsetsis, Vice President of Commercial for Martek. "Spectrum Organics now offers a full range of DHA products for expectant mothers, children and adults that feature Martek's life'sDHA, a trusted, vegetarian way to enrich the diet with this important nutrient."

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) omega-3 is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid that serves as a primary building block for the brain and the eyes and supports brain, eye and cardiovascular health throughout life. There is a large and growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that people of all ages, from infants to aging adults, benefit from an adequate supply of DHA omega-3 in the diet. Scientific reviews highlight the importance of DHA omega-3 in proper brain and eye development and function, and clinical studies are underway to evaluate the role of DHA in decreasing the prevalence of certain neurological disorders.

Studies have shown that increased availability of DHA omega-3 during pregnancy and lactation nourishes the neurological, visual and nervous system development of babies and may play a role in long-term infant health and maternal well-being. Expert bodies have recommended that pregnant and nursing women consume at least 200 mg of DHA per day. Yet research shows that pregnant and nursing women consume, on average, only 52 mg of DHA per day. Additionally, expert bodies such as the FDA have advised pregnant and nursing women to limit their consumption of certain types of fish, the primary dietary source of DHA, due to the potentially high levels of contaminants such as mercury found in certain fish.

DHA is especially important for healthy growth and development during the early stages of life when the brain, eyes and nervous system are growing and developing at a rate unlike any other time in the human lifecycle. Studies have shown that babies who receive DHA supplementation exhibit a range of advantages over those who did not receive DHA supplementation, including cognitive and visual benefits.

Fish are often thought to be the only source of DHA omega-3. However, life'sDHA offers a trusted, vegetarian form of DHA that contains no oceanic pollutants and toxins. Fish are a good source of DHA because of the DHA-rich microalgae in their food chain; life'sDHA is derived from microalgae and produced in an FDA-inspected facility, from start to finish, using a sustainable source that does not deplete ocean resources. life'sDHA is found in numerous foods, beverages and supplements for people of all ages. It is also the only source of DHA used in U.S. infant formula and is available in more than 95 percent of the formulas on the U.S. market.