From: "Steve Harris" <sbharris@ix.RETICULATEDOBJECTcom.com>
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.med,sci.med.nutrition
Subject: Milk Formula Fats (Re: help me prove my wife is wrong.....
Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2001 17:05:35 -0700

"Uncle Al" <UncleAl0@hate.spam.net> wrote in message
news:3C2C969B.A12BFBEE@hate.spam.net...
> You do know that the FDA specifically bans from human infant formula
> ("felonious fortification") the addition of a tetraunsaturated fatty
> acid only found in human breast milk.  Near as anyone can tell, its
> only metabolic purpose is to encourage brain development.
>
> Human milk for human babies - or you bring up a Democrat.

It's actually hexa-unsaturated.  Docosa-HEXA-enoic acid.  22:6 w-3. And it's
not only found in breast milk. It and EPA (20:5 w-3) are common in cold
water fish.

It is very odd that the FDA still bans DHA formula fortification. But
they're imbeciles (look at how long they blocked folate), so what do you
expect? I believe their DHA position (which is supported by one politically
correct study and contradicted by many others) is that the child is able to
make enough DHA from the whiff of ALA (18:4 w-3)  in the soybean oil or
whatever it is that provides the fat in formulas these days.

I'm with Uncle Al, however.  The conversion of ALA to DHA is not all that
efficient, and DHA is the major lipid in the brain, therefore is needed
badly by growing brains. Which is presumably why there's so much DHA in
human breast milk. The cod liver oil supplementing mothers may have been on
to something.

If you're formula-feeding an infant, look into adding 1-2 teaspoons of
well-mixed Udo's Choice oil blend or unhydrogenated Canola to the mix each
day. Even better: a teaspoon of fish body oil (not liver oil-- you don't
need the extra vitamin A). If you're breastfeeding it doesn't hurt to eat
more fish, also-- that markedly increases the DHA content of breast milk.

All these will increase your kid's omega-3 intake by a lot. Can't hurt, and
(as Uncle Al says) it may save the Earth from the pangs of carrying one more
future Democrat.

SBH