DHA has 22 carbon atoms (C) and 2 oxygen atoms (O), and there are many hydrogen atoms (H) around it. The composition of these atoms is as follows: 22 carbon atoms are arranged side by side, each carbon atom has four hands, two oxygen atoms each have two hands, and hydrogen atoms are attached to these outstretched hands in a spherical shape. With a slight change in this combination, completely different substances can be formed, that is, a-Linolenic Acid and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) which are similar to DHA and belong to the same family. These two substances are only slightly different from the number of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms of DHA.
This combination can also be changed to form other unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and arachidonic acid, which are another family of relatives of linolenic acid and EPA. They can also be regarded as two relatives who hate each other. Linolenic acid and arachidonic acid are called N-6 highly unsaturated fatty acids. (N-3 and N-6 are a little different in chemical structure, and connecting a double bond to the third carbon atom is N-3; Connecting a double bond to the sixth carbon atom is n-6. Because these two families hate each other, they don't communicate with each other. In other words, DHA can not be converted into linoleic acid, nor can it be converted into DHA. Linoleic acid can not be converted into DHA. In this way, we have a general understanding of the structure of DHA and its relatives. So, what food contains DHA? DHA is abundant in fish oil. It can be said that most of DHA in nature is in fish oil.
Since DHA is related to linolenic acid and EPA, their functions are the same, or are they different? This is a very simple question, but it is not clear at present. However, it has been learned that their roles in the human body are very different.
The effect of DHA has been confirmed by experiments.
As mentioned earlier, another abbreviation of DHA is {n-3}, and the full name of {n-3} is n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid or n-3 multivalent unsaturated fatty acid, but the function of fatty acid is:
▲ Reduce the cholesterol level in the blood and prevent cardiovascular diseases caused by arteriosclerosis;
▲ Make blood not easy to coagulate;
▲ Reduce inflammation;
▲ Preventing the spread of cancer (under study).
These are some eye-catching effects. In addition, there are some effects that shock the world. As mentioned above, DHA can improve the function of the brain, enhance memory and prevent brain aging.
In the N-3 family, besides DHA, there are linolenic acid and EPA, which are not found in the brain, that is to say, brain function has little to do with linolenic acid and EPA, and the main reason for making the brain smart is that DHA is at work.
lecithin
The importance of vitamins to human life is beyond doubt, and soybeans are known as "vitamins" in 2 1 century. Many health functions of lecithin, the main component of soybean, are gradually recognized by people. In the United States, the National Food Nutrition Association has officially designated choline as an essential nutrient every day, and lecithin is the best donor of choline, that is, supplementing lecithin is equivalent to supplementing choline, which is the main reason why lecithin is popular in Europe and America. Among thousands of health foods in the United States, the sales of lecithin has jumped to the second place (the first place is vitamins), and lecithin has become as important a nutrient as protein and vitamins. Developed countries such as Europe, America and Japan have used it for the prevention and treatment of heart, brain, liver and tumor diseases.
Physiological function of lecithin;
1.cell membrane plays an important role in cell activation, survival and function maintenance, especially in the function maintenance of important organs such as brain nervous system, cardiovascular system, blood, liver, muscle and joint vitality and fat metabolism.
2. Lecithin is the donor of choline in acetylcholine, a nerve messenger. Its quantity determines the speed of residence delivery, whether the intelligence is developed or not, and whether it is full of spirit and vitality. It is also a component of brain cells, and the human brain is 30% phospholipid.
3. Regulate fat metabolism, prevent fatty liver, and prevent liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
4. Good emulsification characteristics can reduce and remove cholesterol deposition on blood vessel wall, reduce blood viscosity, improve blood oxygen supply, prolong the life of red blood cells and enhance hematopoietic function.
5. Drug carrier: Lecithin plastid is a single-layer or multi-layer vesicle composed of lipid bilayer molecules, which is very suitable for degradation in vivo, non-toxic and non-immunogenic. As a carrier, it has the functions of reducing drug toxicity, improving curative effect, reducing side effects and drug dosage.
Application of lecithin;
1. Brain-strengthening and intelligence-improving: Lecithin can be hydrolyzed into choline after being absorbed by the small intestine, and then combined with acetic acid to be converted into acetylcholine, that is, memory. It is a kind of nerve conduction substance. The higher its content, the faster it can be transmitted to the residence and the stronger its memory. Therefore, lecithin has a unique effect on intellectual development and memory enhancement, and it is an essential "brain food" for the intellectual community.
2. Blood vessel "scavenger": Lecithin has the function of emulsifying and decomposing oil, which can improve blood circulation, improve serum quality, remove peroxide, reduce the content of cholesterol and neutral fat in blood, and reduce the retention time of fat on the inner wall of blood vessels. Promote the dissipation of atherosclerotic plaque and prevent intimal manipulation caused by cholesterol. Lecithin has significant effects on hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia, and can prevent and treat arteriosclerosis.
3. Prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Alzheimer's disease, also known as Alzheimer's disease, is a disorder of consciousness caused by cerebral vascular diseases leading to brain hypoxia and brain cell death leading to residence dysfunction. Lecithin supplementation can increase the content of acetylcholine in brain cells, activate and regenerate brain cells, thus restoring and improving brain function. Therefore, lecithin is a cheap functional food for brain diseases.
4. Prevention and treatment of liver diseases: The human liver contains 5% phosphorus. If the content decreases, phospholipid carriers will be lacking, and fat will easily accumulate in the liver to form fatty liver, which may lead to cirrhosis and even liver cancer. Lecithin is hydrophilic and lipophilic, and its good emulsifying properties can emulsify fat, so it has remarkable effect on preventing and treating fatty liver.
5. Prevention and treatment of gallstones: the deposition of cholesterol and bilirubin is the basis for the formation of stones, and the emulsification of lecithin can dissolve and prevent its deposition, thus fundamentally treating and preventing gallstones.
6. Prevention and treatment of constipation: the activated cell function of phospholipids can promote the peristalsis of colon, and send water out of intestinal wall to promote the smooth capillary. So as to eliminate constipation, anxiety and herpes caused by constipation.
7. Good psychological mediator: With the increasingly fierce social competition, people often suffer from anxiety, impatience, insomnia, tinnitus and other symptoms under the tense environment and various pressures for a long time, that is, autonomic nervous disorder, usually called neurasthenia. Regular supplementation of lecithin can make the brain nerves get nutritional supplements in time, maintain a healthy working state, eliminate fatigue, activate brain cells, and improve anxiety, irritability, insomnia and other symptoms caused by nervous tension.
8. Nutrition for diabetic patients: Insufficient lecithin will reduce pancreatic function, unable to secrete sufficient insulin, and unable to effectively transport glucose in serum to cells, which is one of the basic causes of diabetes. The cell membrane formed by lecithin has the function of receiving sugar and making it excreted smoothly, and it can also promote the release of insulin from the pancreas. Therefore, taking lecithin can effectively lower blood sugar and prevent diabetes.
9. Diuretic and kidney-protecting agents: Phospholipids have diuretic effect, which can excrete intracellular waste together with urine and help protect the kidneys.
10. Beauty, hair loss prevention and hair care: there is inositol in phospholipids, which has the function of maintaining hair. Its function of improving the microcirculation of hair roots also makes the hair get enough nutrition supply to protect hair and protect hair. The waste accumulated in human intestine forms enterotoxin, which can promote acne, freckles and age spots, resulting in rough skin. Phospholipids can dissolve intestinal toxicity and be excreted from the body, so it can make the skin smooth and soft, and eliminate acne, freckles, age spots and so on.
1 1. Necessities for fetal and infant nerve development: amniotic fluid in pregnant women contains a lot of lecithin, and there are about15 billion brain cells in human body, 70% of which have been formed in the mother. In order to promote the healthy development of fetal brain cells, it is very important for pregnant women to supplement enough lecithin. Infants and young children are the most critical period of brain formation and development. Lecithin can promote the growth and development of brain nervous system and brain volume. Therefore, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stipulates that lecithin must be added to infant milk powder.
In a word, lecithin not only has high nutritional value, but also has physiological regulation function, which can promote human metabolism, enhance immunity, prevent diseases and improve health. It is indeed an important health care product for human beings. As Dr. Tang Nuo Brown of the United States said, "No nutrient can act in so many ways as phospholipids to enhance and maintain people's health and youthful vitality."