Omega 3 for Kids and Children

What is the usefulness of using omega 3 for kids?

Omega 3 fatty acids, in particular DHA and EPA, which are richly found in fish oil, have been well-proven to have many positive health effects. These include benefits on brain health, joint health, immune health as well as heart and cardiovascular health. The benefits of using omega 3 for children stretch from pregnancy to young adulthood, too.

The truth is, much of the benefits of using omega 3 for children have been shown in research based on fish oil; fish oil is the most widely studied source of omega 3 fatty acids.

What can using fish oil for kids, and thus omega 3 for kids, do for their health and wellbeing? The benefits and positive effects include:

• Proper development of fetus, aiding in the prevention of growth and developmental issues.
• When pregnant mothers take fish oil, they may help in the prevention of allergies and eczema in their children later.
• They may also lower the likelihood of behavioral problems in their kids later.
• In addition, their children may enjoy improved hand-eye coordination later, too.
• Indeed, pregnant mothers who consume fish oil can boost the health, brain function, intelligence and perhaps even happiness of their future babies.
• Similar benefits may be enjoyed by nursing mothers who take fish oil.
• Fish oil may help children with developmental coordination disorder (a condition characterized by reduction in physical coordination as well as behavioral and learning issues).
• Improve symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); improve the condition of children with these ailments.
• Fish oil and evening primrose oil, taken together, could also help alleviate ADHD symptoms.
• Fish oil may help with dyslexia.
• Fish oil could help reduce aggressive behavior in young girls.

How about specific benefits of using omega 3 for kids? The following are some benefits of DHA.

• Higher concentrations of DHA in breast milk have been found to correlate with better visual acuity in babies.
• DHA plays an important role in the normal development of an infant's eyes and vision.
• DHA is also important for the proper development of an infant's brain and nervous system. This is perhaps one of the most important health benefits of omega 3 for kids.
• The brain function of premature babies have been found to have improved with DHA supplementation.
• DHA boosts the intelligence of children.
• Preliminary research has linked low levels of DHA with ADD in children.
• Children with ADHD enjoyed improved cognitive function and lowered behavioral problems with the intake of essential fatty acids like DHA, EPA, GLA and others.
• Young adults who took DHA responded better to mental stress, being less likely to become aggressive.

In his book, "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why", Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., tells us about the profound impact of omega 3 for kids, starting from the womb during pregnancy. According to him, the amount of omega 3 fatty acids in a pregnant mother's diet helps determine her child's intelligence, susceptibility to antisocial behavior, as well as fine motor skills - these include hand-eye coordination and the ability to manipulate small objects.

Adding the research on fish oil and DHA alone, the health benefits of omega 3 for children give us strong reason to ensure our kids, from the fetal stage onwards, are provided sufficient amounts of these very important nutrients.

(Omega 3 supplements are often in the form of capsules / pills or liquid.)