‘Omazing’ Omega-3 – Fab Fats For Health & Brain Power

Why Omega-3?
Whilst you are pregnant and during the rapid growth of your baby’s first year of life, essential fatty acids, especially Omega-3, are needed to develop strong eyes, nerve tissue and a healthy brain. Toddlers and young children also benefit from getting plenty of Omega-3. With too little, their cognition and learning can be affected.

There are also several studies that show a clear benefit for older children and young adults who take Omega-3 supplements, including better cognitive performance and behaviour, improved reading, better attention and less hyperactivity, and even better sleep.

It can help with the maturation of the central nervous system and this helps with self-regulation as well as emotional regulation. Since Omega-3 helps to develop the nervous system, it may even be useful for bed-wetters. Research has also shown that Omega-3 supplementation has helped to reduce the number of wet nights amongst 7-15-year-olds who take an Omega-3 supplement in combination with vitamin D.

What Is Omega-3?
Omega-3 fatty acids are known as essential fatty acids, as they contain essential nutrients that can only come from the diet and cannot be manufactured by the body. Having enough Omega-3 can also offset the negative impact of eating too many saturated fats. So, it is essential to our nutritional needs and should be part of our daily diet.

There are three types of Omega-3 fats:

• Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), found in foods of animal origin, including fish oils. It has been found to assist with hyperactivity, anxiety and depression.
• Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), found in foods of animal origin, including fish oils. It is vital for the developing brain and thus really important in pregnancy and childhood.
• Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), found in plant-based foods such as walnuts, flaxseeds and green vegetables. It can be hard for the body to convert ALA into the DHA and EPA forms needed by the brain.

Omega-3 in the form of oily fish is a particularly important nutrient for the whole family, but can you hand on heart say that you are eating oily fish 2-3 times per week? I hardly ever see oily fish on school menus and most parents struggle to give their kids fish at supper time regularly. This is why extra effort is needed by parents to include Omega-3 rich foods in everyone’s diet on a weekly basis, such as smoked salmon, salmon fish cakes, mackerel pate or sardines on toast. If you have a family of fish-dodgers, then this is where organic milk and omega-3 rich eggs, grass-fed red meat, walnuts, chia seeds and flax seeds as well as fish oil supplements can be helpful instead. Marine Algae omega 3 supplements are now available for vegetarians, vegans and those people who are allergic to fin fish.

Why Do Some People Need More Omega-3 Than Others?
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you particularly need to sustain optimum levels of Omega-3 to support your health and your baby’s health. This ensures that when your baby is born, your little one has the right stores of fatty acids for the development of healthy eyes and nerve tissues and are part of the building blocks to the brain. Studies have also shown that optimising Omega-3 during the the fourth trimester may also help prevent post-natal depression.

Males often find it harder to convert ALA to useable omega-3. It is also suspected that children (and adults alike) with allergies, eczema and learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD might find this conversion even harder and they may need to consume more than the average person. So you should rely on a direct source of DHA and EPA, predominantly found in oily fish and fish oil supplements to ensure you and your kiddies maintain an optimum omega-3 level.

Does it need to be fishy?
If you can only eat plant-based forms of Omega-3 due to a fish allergy or your family is vegan or vegetarian, then there are some environmental and lifestyle factors you should also consider to support your body in maximising this conversion of ALA to DHA and EPA:

What Are The Signs of Omega-3 Deficiency?
If you are worried that your family is not getting enough Omega-3, then your naturopath or nutritional therapist can easily organise a finger prick blood to check their essential fatty acid levels. Other signs to look out for are as follows (most people will experience more than one sign):

How Do I Choose The Right Fish Oil?
There are a number of factors to consider when selecting the right fish oil for you and your family:

Mercury & Toxins – There is a justifiable worry about heavy metal contamination in fish these days. Some fish contain high amounts of mercury and this can cause havoc on the brain and the neurological system. It is the larger predator fish that seem to test high in mercury, such as tuna, marlin, sea bass, shark and swordfish. Even though tinned tuna seems to be the most popular way to feed children fish, please see this as an occasional, rather than everyday food. Smaller fish such as salmon, trout, herring and anchovy are at much lower risk of mercury toxicity and these should be first choices for your children. Fish oils, like the fish they originate from, can vary vastly in quality. A good fish oil should come from a sustainable and traceable fish source and thus is environmentally sound. The same environmental toxins found in fish (such as PCB’s and mercury) also may accumulate in their oil. Top quality fish oil will usually have been through a process of purification to ensure 100% removal of any unwanted toxins and the manufacturer will probably shout about this on the packaging.

Stability – Another key consideration is the stability of the nutrients stored in the oil as omega-3 is easily damaged during processing. This is why a small amount of vitamin E is added to good quality fish oils. It is important to store fish oils in the fridge once they are opened to keep the oil nice and fresh.

DHA:EPA Balance – You should also consider the right balance of DHA:EPA ratio for your stage of life. For example, look for a DHA-rich fish oil during pregnancy and for the under-5s, and then increase to a higher EPA:DHA ratio as the child gets older. It is also good to consider your child’s specific requirement as DHA tends to speed up the brain whilst EPA slows it down. If you think your child is a slow learner then DHA is probably for them, but if you think that their issue is a racing brain that works too fast, then opt for an EPA-rich fish oil.

Forms – There are also many different forms in which you can buy fish oil supplements including caplets, chewables, capsules and liquid. You will probably know which flavour or form will suit your child best. For little ones, the dose of the liquids is often only 1-2.5ml so this is easy to give on a spoon.or via a medicine syringe. Otherwise, you can hide it in a little bit of fruit puree, smoothie or yoghurt.

As you can see, Omega-3 is one of nature’s super nutrients, and now you know how, you can make it a priority for keeping your family in tip top health.