5 Amazing Benefits of Fish Oil in Children

With the pace of modern life getting to be more and more hectic, young mothers rarely have enough time to cook a really good meal on week nights. Pre-packaged foods seem to be the order of the day, though sadly they are high on bad fats and low on omega 3 or good fats.

Parents are therefore advised to add omega 3 fish oil supplements to their kids’ diet so that they eat a balanced diet. When pregnant women include this in their diet, they not only prevent any birth defects, but also aid the development of the unborn baby’s brain and eyes.

Fish oil is a form of fatty acids that are extracted from the tissues of oily fish. It is the repository of omega-3 fatty acids, better known as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

Fish oil can be eaten by eating fish or in the form of capsules, tablets or other supplements. Some fish that have good reserves of omega-3 fatty acids include tuna, salmon, seal blubber, herring, mackerel and cod liver.

# Brain development

DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid present in cold-water, oily fish like salmon and fish oil supplements, is particularly essential for children’s brain development. Children’s brain development can be further enhanced if the pregnant mother feeds them DHA-enriched breast milk. According to studies, breastfed babies end up with higher IQs, they learn motor skills earlier than others, they face fewer emotional and behavioral problems and have a lowered risk of neurological problems in later life.

# Autism

When children with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome are given fish oil supplements, it resulted in improved language and learning skills.

# Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Clinical studies have proved that children with low levels of DHA and EPA had more ADHD symptoms. They also displayed problems such as lack of concentration, learning issues and had disturbed sleep. For them, a course of omega 3 can reduce Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms as it helps increase the learning process and to concentrate on the happenings in the classroom.

# Immunity

Children get immunity through various nutrients, namely EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid). The mother’s diet is the main source of these nutrients, but as children grow older, they can use omega-3 oil supplements. For children older than one year, chewable tablets or capsules of fish oil supplements will help improve their immunity. Care should be taken to choose only those tablets that are mercury-free. Among fish oil supplements, cod liver oil has a very high percentage of Vitamins A and D. If children are given this supplement, they will not suffer from rickets and common infections. It also helps set healthy cell membranes that help prevent inflammation, resist attacks by pathogens and toxins. A conservative dose for kids is one teaspoon of cod liver oil for every 23 kilos of body weight.

# Inflammation and infection

Fish oil supplements contain Vitamin E that plays a stellar role in maintaining optimum fatty acid levels after absorption into the cells. Thanks to Vitamin E’s anti-inflammatory capabilities and resistance to infection, children are safe from these with a regular 100 mg dose for kids under two years of age and 200 mg for three year-olds up till 12 years.