Children's DHA Supplements
Ever asked yourself this question, "what is DHA and what has it got to do with my child's health
?" Here is some information on what DHA is, some facts about what the body uses it for and tests and research concerning DHA reinforcement.DHA ( docosahexaenoic acid ) is a long-chain omega-3 greasy acid that comes from fish oil. It is the longest and most unsaturated of the omega-3 trans-acids and is considered physiologically necessary in the right growth and development of the brain, nervous system and retina to support optimal cognitive function. DHA actually amasses in the brain our first couple years of life ; no other omega greasy acid does this. When born DHA makes up about 93% of the omega-3 acids in the retina and 97% of the omega-3 trans-acids in the brain and continue to increase as the brain develops during the first two years of life and after based on measures in the cerebral cortex up to 18 years old. Basically ; DHA=brain food.
When relating to the brain, DHA, often mixed with EPA ( eicosapentaenoic acid ) in augmentation, is vital for proper brain function. It is found in high concentrations coating parts of the neural membranes ( providing fluidity and permeability ) where it's been found to play a very important role in the capability of the brain to send and receive clear signals and therefore function properly. Basically, if you think of the nerves as electrical wires in that they send electrical impulses and have a coating to keep the present within the wire and broadcasting smoothly ; the coating on our nerves is made from a high content of omega-3 trans-acids most of which is DHA. Meaning the more DHA in your cerebral cortex the better it can work.
What does this have to do with children's health? In doing the analysis for this essay I found there were many studies ( some of which can be found on dhaomega3.org ) that show a link between cognitive function, some behaviour issues, learning capability, memory, some reading disabilities, grades at school, visible acuity and levels of DHA in the brain. From the womb and beyond DHA plays a vital role in progress. Babies whose mummies got at least 200-300mg of DHA per day when carrying the baby have been shown to have better visual acuity at sixteen and 30 weeks. Breast-feeding mothers or babies who require formula can supplement with DHA food additions and formulas that contain DHA
In Sweden a study was conducted of 15 year old school youngsters and found that those who consumed fish high in omega-3's more than once per week had 15% higher grades than those that consumed fish less than once per week. Not just that, another study showed accumulative benefits from prolonged consumption of DHA may eventually over time have positive effects on school performance. In this report a regular intake of 127mg of DHA+55mg of EPA, as gotten from fish oil, inserted in bread spread was given to 7-9 year olds over a 6 month period. The control group had less than twenty percent of that intake. The supplemented youngsters had improvement ( based primarily on the Hopkins oral Learning Test ) in recognition by 9%, discrimination index improvement of 20% and the same with the spelling test. DHA even appears to have a good effect on dyslexia ; after taking 480mg of DHA+108mg of EPA+ a lower level of GLA ( gamma-linolenic acid, an omega-6 greasy acid ) for twenty weeks the twelve year olds showed a 60 percent improvement on reading tests. It should be noted however this appears to have been an open-pilot trial. More studies are being done and must be done but this is undeniably an interesting beginning.
An inspiring study showed that a DHA / EPA mix given to autistic 5-17 year olds lessened their hyperactive symptoms. Studies are on-going to find the best combination levels of DHA / EPA and dose to help these kids. Other issues like ADHD may be due to metabolic differences in greasy acid metabolism, causing fatty acid profiles that are out of strike, including lower levels of DHA causing poor information transmission in nerves. Scientists are researching what mix of omega-3 and omega-6 supplementation could help with certain aspects of ADHD behaviours.
The real deal with DHA and even a DHA / EPA mix is that it has been shown to be important for development health in youngsters and people of every age particularly as we get older. Actually it is advised that kids get at least 100-150mg of DHA from the food they eat. One way to do that's by providing a low contaminate fish a pair times a week, or tuna from a can. Be careful, lots of fish contain mercury, insecticides, poisons and dioxins ; raised levels aren't good for anyone not to mention youngsters.
If you decide on a food supplement ensure you find a credible company that goes thru severe standard quality testing, ideally a couple of quality controls tests and outside lab testing. Some companies on the store shelves have been recalled due to hazardous levels of PCBs. You're looking for a pharmaceutical grade form of DHA, one which has gone thru purifying more than 2 times.
With so much going on in our kids' lives and all of the stimulation, it may be sensible to give their brains some extra food. DHA and DHA / EPA combo are a method to give them the tools they need to be in a position to concentrate and use their minds to the best of their capacities. Foods loaded in omega-3 trans acids and fish low in pollutes or a food supplement are the best way to try this.
Children's DHA Supplements
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