This article was published by ITV´s This Morning. The original article is at www.itv-thismorning.co.uk.
By Dr Chris Steele
1st November 2006
You may have heard about omega 3 in the headlines recently and know that it is reportedly good for your brain and also for your child´s concentration, but what exactly is it and how can omega 3 benefit you? Dr Chris is here with your need to know guide on Omega3.
What is Omega 3?
Omega-3 is the name given to a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Your body needs these Omega-3 fats to function properly but the body can´t make it on its own, so you have to get it from your diet or through supplements.
You find Omega-3 in oily fish such as tuna, salmon and mackerel but it can also be obtained from dark green leafy vegetables, flaxseed oils (flaxseed oil supplements are suitable for vegetarians) and certain vegetable oils. If your child doesn´t eat oily fish then a supplement can provide a reliable source of omega 3´s.
The Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to life at every stage, even before birth. Omega 3 helps build healthy cell membranes, and regulate blood clotting and are vital for brain development and the nervous system. Some research also suggests Omega-3 could improve concentration, behaviour and learning capacity of children. Lots of food products are now topped up with Omega-3 with these claims in mind.
Omega 3 and health benefits
Research into the human health benefits of Omega-3 began in the 1970s. It was found that Inuit people in Greenland, who lived on a diet high in Omega-3 rich oily fish, suffered far less from certain diseases, such as coronary heart disease.
Since then further research has linked Omega-3 with numerous health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, easing menstrual pain, reducing blood pressure and improving rheumatoid arthritis.
Omega-3 and the brain
Developments in recent years has been research into the effects of Omega-3 on the brain. The brain is 60% fat and needs Omega-3 to work properly. In particular, Omega-3 fats appear to help your brain deal with thoughts and reactions quickly and efficiently. Omega-3 fats are even thought to help with depression and dementia.
Omega-3 and school children
In September 2006, all Year 11 pupils at Durham County Council´s 36 comprehensive schools were offered omega-3 fish oil supplements to see whether the suggested proven performance benefits seen in earlier trials could boost exam performances.
By the end of the study, more than 40% of the children were reported to have shown dramatic improvements, with some showing reading age improvements of between 18 months and 4 years and attention gains of up to 400%.
Recommended Intake
Adults should have 2 portions of oily fish (sardines, herring, mackerel, trout and salmon) a week. Girls and women who want to have babies in the future should only have 2 portions of fish a week (a salmon steak is equivalent to one portion). Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also only have 2 portions, but men and boys can have up to 4 portions of oil fish a week.
If you are pregnant, nursing, or have problems with mercury or other heavy metals, you can get omega 3 from other sources; flax oil or seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts or walnut oil or eggs from naturally grazing hens.
Omega 3 Supliments
There are different ways of taking omega 3 supplements; for children up to the age of 12 you can buy it in liquid form, or there are chewy tablets available and for adults you can buy soft capsules. You can buy omega 3 supplements from any chemist or supermarket.
You should use supplements that contain EPA and DHA extracts as these generally don´t use Vitamin A and most likely they´ll be free from mercury levels. Follow the instruction on the package as all vary.
For further information visit: Dr Chris Steele’s web site www.theFamilyGP.com.
Dr Chris Steele, www.itv-thismorning.co.uk, 2006
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