Fat Burning Food

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.

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”.

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.

A child’s requirement for omega 3 fats starts right at conception. The study noted that brain development was extremely fast during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and that for adequate brain development an adequate level of DHA was essential. And it also noted that the first 2 years of infancy was equally important for brain development and placed an equal demand on DHA levels.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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