Do You Have Children? Omega 3 Fats Should Be A Big Part Of Their Diet.

For some years now science has understood the health benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids. It is now clearly established that these benefits are equally important for the health of our kids. Omega 3 fatty acids are just as important in the diet of our kids, or even more so, than in the diet of adults. And this requirement for omega 3 fats begins at conception.

You find Omega 3 essential fatty acids in fish oil. Kids are just like adults. They have a minimum requirement for levels of omega 3 in their diet to ensure adequate development and health. The importance of omega 3 in children has now been underscored by the release of a study from the University of Wollongong’s School Of Health Sciences in Australia. In this study it was found that Australian children were hugely deficient in omega 3. Children in the US will be no different.

In fact the study found that on average the intake of omega 3 fats in 3-year-olds was just 47 milligrams which the professor describes as “desperately low”.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are the 2 most important essential fatty acids found in fish oil known as Omega 3. Kids in the US, as well as Australia, have levels of these essential fatty acids that are way too low. The deficiency of omega 3 in children has a range of health implications for our kids.

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.

A child cannot supplement its diet own with omega 3. Children have these decisions made for them by their parents. Parents should consider increasing their own intake of fish oil as well as increasing the amount of fish oil in children’s diets because their own health and the health of their kids depends on it.

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.

Clearly there are important children’s health issues at stake here. It is simple to increase the intake of omega 3 in children’s diets. Of course it is always possible to increase their intake of fish however fish is very expensive, is generally contaminated with mercury and is not well liked by children.

In fact I supplement the diet of my own children with omega 3 fish oil capsules. If children are too young to take capsules it is a simple matter to cut the top off and pour the fish oil onto their breakfast. Children are not even aware that the fish oil is there.

The decisions that parents make about the diet of their children affects the healthy development of their children. Omega 3 supplementation is simple, cost-effective and should be started by the mother from the beginning of pregnancy. Omega 3 supplementation in the mother even increases the levels of DHA in her breastmilk which in turn increases the level of Omega3 in infants who are breastfeeding.

However not all Omega 3 capsules are as good as others. There are many issues relating to the quantity of DHA present in the capsules, the freshness of the fish oil used, (fish oil oxidizes quickly) and the effectiveness of the fatty acids.

On my website I seek to educate my readers about how to compare the different fish oil supplements available and to tell them which omega 3 supplements I have chosen for myself and my children.