Advertisement
"There is a strong body of scientific evidence supporting the importanceof DHA to pregnant women and the development and health of their babies," saidJohn Dobson, Martek's managing director of sales and marketing for Europe."Martek is pleased to be working with Eastern European supplements leaderWalmark to make a trusted source of DHA available to consumers in this part ofthe world."
Advertisement
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) omega-3 is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid thatserves as a primary building block for the brain and the eyes and supportsbrain, eye and cardiovascular health throughout life. There is a large andgrowing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that people of all ages,from infants to aging adults, benefit from an adequate supply of DHA omega-3in their diets. Scientific reviews have noted the importance of DHA omega-3 inproper brain and eye development and function, and there are clinical studiesunderway to evaluate its role in decreasing the prevalence of certainneurological disorders.
DHA is important throughout pregnancy, particularly in the third trimesterwhen significant brain growth occurs. Maternal DHA supplementation duringpregnancy and nursing significantly enhances the level of DHA available to thefetus and infant. Studies have shown that maternal DHA supplementation mayimprove infant developmental outcomes, such as eye-hand coordination, motorskills and attention span. Women of childbearing age who consume a typicalWestern diet are at risk for low stores of DHA. This is because the primarydietary source of DHA is fatty fish, a dietary choice that is not typically astaple of the Western diet. Additionally, expert bodies have advised pregnantand nursing women to limit their consumption of certain types of fish due tothe potentially high levels of toxins such as mercury.
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 oceanicpollutants and toxins. Fish are good sources of DHA because of the DHA-richmicroalgae in their food chain; life'sDHA is derived from microalgae andproduced in an FDA-inspected facility from start to finish using a sustainablesource that does not deplete ocean resources. life'sDHA is found in numerousfoods, beverages and supplements for people of all ages. It is also the onlysource of DHA used in U.S. infant formula and is available in more than 95percent of the formulas on the U.S. market and in infant formula products soldin more than 75 countries around the world.
A modern pharmaceutical company specializing in the manufacture and saleof nutritional supplements and pharmaceuticals, Walmark leads the supplementsmarket in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria and is one of thetop three market leaders in Poland, Hungary and Lithuania. Exporting to morethan 20 countries in the world, including regions in Europe and the Middle andthe Far East, Walmark maintains a successful product portfolio of nutritionalsupplements and continues to develop products in the pharmaceutical and sportsnutrition segments.
Martek Biosciences Corporation (Nasdaq: MATK) is a leader in theinnovation and development of DHA omega-3 products that promote health andwellness through every stage of life. The company produces life'sDHA(TM), asustainable and vegetarian source of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA(docosahexaenoic acid), for use in foods, beverages, infant formula, andsupplements. The company also produces life
