The original English name of DHA is Docose Hexaenoie Acid, which is abbreviated by its three prefixes D.H.A DHA has other abbreviations, such as C22: 6, N-3 or 22: 6 (docosahexaenoic acid). These abbreviations are too complicated, but they can represent the chemical structure of DHA. The details are as follows: DHA has 22 carbon atoms (C) and 2 oxygen atoms (O), and many hydrogen atoms (H) are attached 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, α -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 DHA in the number of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms. This combination can also change to form other unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and arachidonic acid, which are another relative family of linolenic acid and EPA. It can also be seen 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; The double bond connecting the sixth carbon atom is n-6. Because the two families hate each other, they don't communicate with each other. That is to say, DHA cannot be converted into linoleic acid or DHA. Linoleic acid cannot be converted into DHA. In this way, we have a general understanding of the structure of DHA and its related species. So, what food contains DHA? Fish oil is rich in DHA. It can be said that most of DHA in nature is in fish oil. Since DHA is related to linolenic acid and EPA, are their functions the same or different? This is a very simple question, but it is not clear at present. However, it is understood that their functions in the human body are very different. The effect of DHA has been confirmed by experiments. Another abbreviation of DHA mentioned earlier 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 functions of fatty acids are: ▲ lowering the cholesterol level in blood and preventing cardiovascular diseases caused by arteriosclerosis; ▲ Make blood not easy to coagulate; ▲ Reduce inflammation; ▲ Preventing the spread of cancer (under study). These are some striking effects. In addition, there are some world-shaking effects. As mentioned above, DHA can improve brain function, 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. There is no doubt that lecithin vitamins are important to human life, 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 of the United States has officially designated choline as a daily essential nutrient, and lecithin is the best donor of choline, that is, supplementing lecithin is equivalent to supplementing choline, which is also the main reason why lecithin is popular in Europe and America. Among thousands of health foods in the United States, the sales volume 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 composition plays an important role in cell activation, survival and functional maintenance, especially in the functional maintenance of important organs such as brain nervous system, cardiovascular system, blood and liver, muscle and joint vitality and fat metabolism. 2. Lecithin is the donor of choline in the nerve messenger acetylcholine. Its quantity determines the speed of housing delivery, whether the intelligence is developed, 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, 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 in vivo degradation, 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 small intestine, and then combined with acetic acid to be converted into acetylcholine, that is, memory element. It is a nerve conduction substance. The higher its content, the faster it is transmitted to the residence and the stronger its memory. Therefore, lecithin plays a unique role in intellectual development and memory enhancement, and is an essential "brain-nourishing food" for the intellectual community. 2. Vascular "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 obvious effect on hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia, and can prevent and treat arteriosclerosis. 3. Prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's Harmo's disease: Alzheimer's Harmo's disease, also known as Alzheimer's Harmo's disease, is a disturbance of consciousness caused by brain hypoxia caused by cerebrovascular disease and resident dysfunction caused by brain cell death. 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 disease: The human liver contains 5% phosphorus. If the content is reduced, the phospholipid carrier will be lacking, and fat will easily accumulate in the liver to form fatty liver, which will easily lead to cirrhosis and even liver cancer. Lecithin is hydrophilic and lipophilic, and its good emulsifying performance can emulsify fat, so it has a remarkable preventive and therapeutic effect on fatty liver. 5. Prevention and treatment of gallstones: the deposition of cholesterol and bilirubin is the basis of stone formation, and the emulsification of lecithin can dissolve and prevent its deposition, thus fundamentally treating and preventing gallstones. 6. Prevention and treatment of constipation: phospholipids activate cell function, promote colon peristalsis, send water out of intestinal wall, and promote capillary patency. Thereby eliminating constipation, anxiety and herpes caused by constipation. 7. Good psychological mediator: With the increasingly fierce social competition, people often have symptoms such as anxiety, impatience, insomnia, tinnitus, etc. under long-term tense environment and various pressures, that is, autonomic nervous disorder, usually called neurasthenia. Regular supplementation of lecithin can make brain nerves get nutritional supplements in time, maintain healthy working conditions, eliminate fatigue, activate brain cells, and improve symptoms such as anxiety, irritability and insomnia caused by nervous tension. 8. Nutrition of diabetic patients: insufficient lecithin will reduce pancreatic function, unable to secrete enough 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 can accept sugar and excrete it smoothly, and can also promote the release of insulin from the pancreas. Therefore, taking lecithin can effectively lower blood sugar and prevent diabetes. 9. Diuretics and kidney protectants: Phospholipids have diuretic effect, which can excrete intracellular waste with urine and help protect the kidneys. 10. Beauty, hair loss prevention and hair care: inositol is contained in phospholipids, which has the function of maintaining hair. It can improve the microcirculation function of hair roots, provide enough nutrition for hair, and play a role in hair care. The waste accumulated in human intestine forms enterotoxin, which can promote acne, freckles and senile plaques, resulting in rough skin. Phospholipids can dissolve intestinal toxicity and excrete it, 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: The amniotic fluid of pregnant women contains a lot of lecithin, and there are about/kloc-0.5 billion brain cells in the human body, 70% of which have been formed as early as the mother. In order to promote the healthy development of fetal brain cells, it is very important for pregnant women to supplement enough lecithin. Infantile period is 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 play a role in many aspects like phospholipids, enhancing and maintaining people's health and youthful vitality."