By David Liu, Ph.D.Aug 25, 2011 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study in the journal Stroke suggests that taking a type of omega-3 fatty acid called Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA may reduce the damage induced by a stroke.The animal study showed mice taking DHA supplements for three months after stroke reduced the stroke-induced damage by 25 percent.Jasna Kriz and Frédéric Calon, authors of the study,  of Université Laval's Faculty of Medicine found it is likely the antiinflammatory effect of omega-3 fatty acid DHA is associated with the reduction in brain damage induced by stroke.DHA, which is found in cold water fatty fish and fish oil supplements, has been known to reduce risk of cancer and cardiovasculard disease among other things.Stroke strikes 800,000 people each year in the U.S. and the event kills 143,000 annually.