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 children. 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.

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.

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”.

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 children. Omega 3 levels in our children are also way too low and there are a range of health implications from this.

In fact Prof Meyer said in her study that omega 3 levels in children should be supplemented during pregnancy. She noted that DHA and EPA, and in particular DHA, was essential to brain development in the fetus and that adequate levels of DHA were very important during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Equally she noted that brain development was exceedingly important during the first 2 years of an infants life and that during this time the infant also had high demands for DHA. Clearly there are requirements right from conception for higher levels of omega 3 in children.

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.

It’s not just brain development that is affected by a child’s intake of omega 3. Kids have a whole range of health and development issues which can benefit from an increased intake of fish oil. Inadequate levels of essential fatty acids can put them at a higher risk of asthma, poorer visual development, slower brain development, lower IQ as established on IQ tests, an increased incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and others.

Clearly there are serious issues involved when considering the supplementation of omega 3 in children. This can be achieved by increasing their intake of fish however there are various issues associated with this including mercury contamination, the price of fish and the well-known dislike of fish by children.

I supplement the diet of my own children with omega 3 fish oil capsules. When they were too young to take capsules it was a simple matter to cut the top off the capsules and pour that fish oil on their breakfast. They don’t even know fish oil 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.

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.

To find out which Omega 3 capsules I give to my own children and take myself visit my website.

Want to know more about the health benefits of Fish Oil? Or more about Omega 3 Children? Visit Peter’s Website Healthy Omega 3 Fish Oil.

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