Do You Supplement With Fish Oil? Kids Also Should Have Fish Oil In Their Diet.
For some time science has understood the health benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids, and this now extends to our children. Omega 3 fats should be an essential part of the diet of any child right from conception.
Omega 3 essential fatty acids are found in fish oil. Kids, like adults, should have a minimum intake of Omega3 fats for healthy development and this is now being highlighted by a new study by Associate Professor Barbara Meyer from the University of Wollongong’s School of Health Sciences in Australia. This study has found that children in Australia are highly deficient in omega 3. Children in America will be exactly the same.
The study discovered that the average intake of Omega3 fats in children of 3 years was 47 milligrams which was described by the professor undertaking the study as “desperately low”.
The 2 essential fatty acids that are commonly found in fish oil are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). And it is well known that the levels of these essential fatty acids in adults in the US are way too low. This now applies to kids. Omega 3 levels in our children are also way too low and there are a range of health implications from this.
The study noted that the demands of omega 3 in children starts at conception and that brain development during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy required a high level of DHA to be available. Equally brain development during the first 2 years of infancy also required adequate levels of Omega3 fats. Kids need omega 3 for adequate brain development and do not have enough.
Children are unable to supplement their diets. This is a decision made by their parents. Parents ought seriously consider increasing their own intake of Omega3 fats as well as increasing the intake in their children of fish oil. Kids health depends upon the decisions made by their parents.
And it’s not just the brain development of our children that is negatively affected by a low intake of Omega 3. Kids have a range of other developmental and health issues, all of which can benefit from increasing their intake of fish oil. Kids with inadequate levels of omega 3 have a higher risk of asthma, slower brain development, slower visual development, in some cases lower IQ and also an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as other health issues.
It is quite clear that there are important health issues involved when we consider dietary supplementation of omega 3 in children. It is possible to increase children’s fish oil intake by increasing their intake of fish however fish can be contaminated with mercury and other contaminants, is expensive and is generally not liked by children.
I have been supplementing the diet of my children with omega 3 cost effectively and simply. I use the best Omega 3 capsules (which I take myself) and cut the top off and pour the fish oil onto their breakfast and they are unaware it is there.
The decisions of parents about what their children eat are important ones affecting the development of their children. Omega 3 supplementation is cost effective and simple and is important right from the conception of the child. Even during breastfeeding omega 3 supplementation by mothers increases the amount of DHA available to the infant in the breastmilk.
But not all Omega 3 capsules are high quality and there are important issues to understand about the freshness of the fish oil used, the amount of DHA present in the supplements and the effectiveness of the essential fats found in the capsules.
On my website I explain which omega 3 capsules I use for my own children (and myself). Visit my website to find out.