Children's DHA

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 augmentation.

DHA ( docosahexaenoic acid ) is a long-chain omega-3 greasy acid that comes from fish oil. It's the longest and most unsaturated of the omega-3 fatty acids and is considered physiologically essential in the correct development and growth of the brain, nervous system and retina to support optimum cognitive function. DHA really accumulates in the brain our first couple years of life ; no other omega fatty 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 2 years of life and after based mostly on measures in the cerebral cortex up to eighteen years old. Fundamentally ; DHA=brain food.

When relating to the brain, DHA, often mixed with EPA ( eicosapentaenoic acid ) in augmentation, is vital for correct brain function. It is found in high concentrations coating parts of the neural surfaces ( 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 thus function properly. Fundamentally, if you think of the nerves as electric wires in the sense that they send electrical impulses and have a coating to keep the prevailing in the wire and broadcasting smoothly ; the coating on our nerves is made of a high content of omega-3 trans-acids most being DHA. Meaning the more DHA in your brain the better it can work.

What does this have to do with children's health? In doing the research for this essay I found there have been many studies ( some of which can be found on dhaomega3.org ) that show a correlation between cognitive function, some behaviour issues, learning capability, memory, some reading incapacities, grades at school, visible acuity and levels of DHA in the brain. From the womb and beyond DHA plays an important role in development. Babies whose mothers got at least 200-300mg of DHA every day when carrying the baby have been shown to have better visual acuity at sixteen and thirty weeks. Breast-feeding mummies or babies who require formula can supplement with DHA food supplements and formulas that contain DHA

In Sweden a study was conducted of 15 years old school kids and found that those that consumed fish high in omega-3's more often than once per week had 15% higher grades than those who consumed fish less than once every week. Not just that, another study showed accumulative benefits from lengthened ingestion of DHA may finally over time have positive results on college performance. In this research a daily 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 p.c. of that intake. The supplemented youngsters had improvement ( based primarily on the Hopkins verbal Learning Test ) in recognition by 9%, discrimination index improvement of 20% and the same with the spelling test. DHA even seems 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 20 weeks the 12 year olds showed a 60 percent improvement on reading tests. It should be noted however this looks like an open-pilot trial. More studies are being done and must be done but this is certainly an interesting beginning.

An encouraging study proved that a DHA / EPA combination given to autistic 5-17 year olds reduced their hyperactive symptoms. Studies are on-going to find the best mix levels of DHA / EPA and dose to help these youngsters. Other Problems such as ADHD could be caused by metabolic variations in fatty acid metabolism, causing fatty acid profiles that are out of whack, including lower levels of DHA causing poor information transmission in nerves. Scientists are researching what combination of omega-3 and omega-6 supplementation could help with certain sides of ADHD behaviors.

The big deal with DHA and even a DHA / EPA mix is that it has been shown to be important for developmental health in children and folks of all ages especially as we age. In the final analysis it is advised that youngsters get at least 100-150mg of DHA from the food they eat. One way to do that is by providing a low contaminate fish a couple times each week, or tuna from a can. Be careful, lots of fish contain mercury, insecticides, poisons and dioxins ; extreme levels aren't good for anybody not to mention kids.

If you choose a food supplement ensure you find a reputable company that goes through comprehensive standard quality testing, preferably several QC tests and outside laboratory testing. Some firms on the store shelves have been called back due to dangerous levels of PCBs. You're looking for a pharmaceutical grade kind of DHA, one which has gone through filtration more than two times.

With so much happening in our kids' lives and all the kick, it could be smart to give their brains some additional food. DHA and DHA / EPA combo are a method to give them the tools they have to be in a position to concentrate and use their minds to the very best of their capabilities. Foods rich in omega-3 trans acids and fish low in contaminates or a food supplement are the best way to try this.

Children's dha is important in early development. read more on DHA and Nutrition For ADHD Children, Natural Treatment For ADHD.

Article Source: http://www.wellnessarticlelibrary.com

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