Feeding The Brain
By: News Canada

(NC)-Infants need high levels of DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, for brain development and function. But Sheila Innis, of the University of British Columbia, believes that they may not be able to produce sufficient DHA on their own, and may need a dietary supplement to avoid deficits in brain function. She is testing her belief by feeding piglets diets with and without DHA. DHA is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is transferred to the fetus during gestation and is found in breast milk. However, it is not present in fruits and vegetables, infant formulas, or nutritional products used for adults and children with gastro-intestinal diseases.

Dr. Innis' research is being funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR is Canada's preeminent health research catalyst and is funded by the government of Canada. An exciting new concept, CIHR is modernizing and transforming the health research enterprise in Canada.

To learn more about CIHR please visit: www.cihr.ca, e-mail: info@ cihr.ca or write to: CIHR, 410 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa ON K1A 0W9.

About The Author News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

This article was posted on July 24, 2002

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