Omega 3 Supplements for Children: What you should be aware of

It is a fact that, nowadays omega 3 fish oil dietary supplements have achieved high recognition among the general public. What many parents are now wondering, is whether there any special omega 3 supplements for children.

The simple truth is that there are no different versions of supplements, suitable for children. However, what you have to be careful about is that there are indeed some subtle considerations that you should be awre of.

The most crucial characteristic that a high quality fish oil should definitely possess, irrespective of whether is intended to be consumed by adults or children, is that it should undergo a purification process.

Molecular distillation

For those of you who may be not aware of this, molecular distillation is now widely recognized to be the most advanced and efficient method to eliminate dangerous pollutants from fish oil, at the stage of its extraction from the fish.

Let me explain why this process is important.

As you are probably aware, most of the waters on earth have traces of contaminants (heavy metals like mercury and cadmium, PCBs, dioxins etc), which are in turn digested by fish. If these are not removed from the fish oil at the stage of exraction, then all of these contaminants will inevitably end up in the supplements!

Look out for for Vitamin A

Another thing to look out for when purchasing omega 3 supplements for children is that they should not contain Vitamin A in the case that the child takes multivitamins on a daily basis.

The reason for this is that vitamin A tends to be toxic, when consumed in large quantities.

Health Benefits

Coming now to the health benefits of omega 3 supplements for children, research has shown that children who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), have seen significant improvement after including a regular intake of fish oil capsules in their diet.

Beyond its special benefits on certain disorders, omega 3 supplements seem to be very beneficial for the overall development of children, especially at the very early stages.

Especially one of the fatty acids by the name of DHA is very crucial. Just consider that 60% of the total mass of the brain consists of fats. Half of this is DHA!

Of course, someone might argue that it is better if children obtained omega 3 essential fatty acids directly from their diet (i.e. eat fish), rather than rely on supplementation.

Although it may seem a valid point, things are not so simple: You see, as mentioned above, the sad reality nowadays is that most of the fish (especially those that swim in the Atlantic Ocean) are loaded with all sorts of chemicals.

Recommended Dosage

Experts recommend that children should limit their monthly intake of the same fish type to only four times. They even go so far as to say that some fish should be altogether banned from the children’s diet. Atlantic salmon is one of these examples.

The daily dosage for omega 3 supplement for children also differs from the one intended for adults.

While recommended adult dosage varies from 2 to 4 grams per day (2000 to 4000 mg), the children’s dosage is only around 300 mg.

In conclusion, to ensure that your young ones have the best possible health and support their development, enrich their daily diet by giving them a small daily dose of molecularly distilled omega 3 supplements, free from Vitamin A and rich in DHA essential fatty acid.

As for their consumption of fish, make sure they are free from any harmful toxins that might pose a health risk in the long run.