Docosahexaenoic Acid Unit Converter

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid with 22 carbons and six double bonds. It is the most abundant omega-3 fatty acid in the human brain, making up roughly 97% of the brain's omega-3 content and up to 20% of total lipids in gray matter.

Plasma DHA reflects your recent dietary intake over days to weeks. The body can convert alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) from plant sources into DHA, but this conversion is extremely limited, typically less than 1-4%. Most circulating DHA comes directly from dietary sources such as fatty fish and algal oil.

DHA is also commonly measured as part of the Omega-3 Index, which reports EPA plus DHA as a percentage of red blood cell membrane fatty acids and reflects longer-term status over approximately 120 days.

DHA comes primarily from dietary sources, especially cold-water fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) and algal oil. The liver can synthesize small amounts from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), but this conversion is very inefficient, so most people depend on preformed DHA from food or supplements.