Omega 3 for Children
Research shows Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for pregnant women from the third trimester until the second year of life.
A developing child needs a steady supply of the complex fatty acid called DHA to form the brain and other parts of the nervous system.
About 60% of our brains are made up of fat, and about half of that fat is complex DHA omega 3 fatty acids, which are one of the key components in fish oils, particularly high quality ones.
The most rapid brain growth occurs during the first year of life, with the infant’s brain tripling in size by the first birthday. During this stage of active central nervous system growth, the brain uses around 60% of the total energy consumed by the infant.
Fats are a major component of the brain cell membrane and the area around each nerve. So, it makes sense that getting enough fat, and the right kinds of fat like Omega 3 fats, can greatly affect brain development and performance.
In fact, during the first year, around fifty percent of an infant’s daily calories come from fat.
The developing newborn is depleting the fatty acids of the mother which can affect the mother’s moods or potentially cause mild depression, so taking fish oil supplements is even more important for pregnant or nursing mothers.
Yet the talk of fish contaminants in the media causes many mothers to avoid eating fish during pregnancy or when nursing, yet they don’t realize how important those Omega 3 fatty acids are for fetal brain development.
Fortunately high-quality containment-free fish oil is available.
Other benefits that fish oil provides for developing children is :
Aggression: A study of teenagers found that fish oil and DHA consumption relates to reduced hostility levels in teenagers. Hostility has been shown to predict the development and manifestation of heart disease.
Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia and dyspraxia: Like depression and other mood disorders, persons who suffer from ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia (absence of ability to perform coordinated skilled movements or clumsiness) benefit from fish oil supplementation.
ADHD has been linked by research to lack of omega-3 fatty acids, necessary for formation and repair of brain cell membranes, especially in the developing central nervous system of children. Fish oil may improve the efficiency of nerve impulses and neurotransmitters involved in brain function.
For the pure fish oil that my own children take, visit here
-Editor, www.omega3guide.com
