By Dr. Mercola
If you want your child to reach his or her maximum
intellectual potential, the research is clear that plentiful
intake of the omega-3 fat DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is
essential.
In the US, most kids get hardly any of this healthful fat,
found primarily in seafood, in their diets, and may be missing
out on this simple opportunity to boost brain performance.
Most recently, two new studies have confirmed that boosting
your child’s intake of DHA as an infant and into the school-age
years may be a simple way to generate measurable improvements in
their brain function.
Low DHA Levels May Impact Reading, Memory and Behavior
The first study involved children aged 7-9 who had
below-average reading scores. In these kids, low levels of DHA
and other omega-3 fats were associated with poor reading, memory
and behavioral problems.1
Previous studies have also found children with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related
behavior/learning disabilities are more likely to have low
omega-3 fat levels that could benefit from supplementation.
The new study was unique in that it looked at healthy
children without learning disabilities, but with poor reading
skills, and still found a link with low omega-3 levels.
“These findings require confirmation, but suggest
that the benefits from dietary supplementation with Omega-3
LC-PUFA [long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids]
found for ADHD, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, and related conditions
might extend to the general school population,” the
researchers concluded.
DHA Supplementation Early in Life Increases Intelligence as
Older Children
In the second study, a group of infants received either an
omega-3 fat supplement or a placebo.2
Tests to evaluate their cognition were given every six months
starting at age 18 months and continuing until they were 6 years
old.
While no changes were noted in the early test done at 18
months, the study found that infants consuming omega-3 fats
consistently outscored the placebo group later, between 3 and 5
years old.
Specifically, the omega-3 fat group scored higher on rule
learning, vocabulary and intelligence testing, which suggests
early omega-3 fat supplementation, during the key period when
your child’s brain is still developing, may translate directly
into greater intelligence in the pre-school and school-aged
years. The researchers noted:
“ … although the effects of LCPUFAs [omega-3 fats]
may not always be evident on standardized developmental
tasks at 18 mo[nths], significant effects may emerge later
on [for] more specific or fine-grained tasks.”
Omega-3s Found to Alter and Boost Brain Function
Sixty percent of your brain is made up of fat. DHA alone
makes up about 15 percent to 20 percent of your brain's cerebral
cortex. It's found in relatively high levels in your neurons –
the cells of your central nervous system, where it provides
structural support.
Because your brain is literally built from omega-3 fats, it
makes sense that it would play an integral role in brain
function (and even may help support
healing after a brain injury).
Still more research found, for instance, that DHA
supplementation might affect functional cortical brain activity
in 8-10-year-old boys.3
The study included 33 healthy boys who were randomly assigned
to receive a daily dose of either 400 milligrams (mg) of DHA,
1,200 mg of DHA, or a placebo, for two months. Researchers then
measured the boys’ brain activation patterns, using functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), while the boys were playing
video games.
In the group receiving the highest daily dose, the DHA levels
in the membrane of red blood cells (erythrocytes) increased by a
whopping 70 percent. The lower dose group saw an increase of 47
percent, while the placebo group had an 11 percent reduction
in DHA levels while performing this type of sustained attention
task.
The fMRI data indicates that there were significant increases
in the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex part of
the brain in the groups receiving supplemental DHA. This is an
area of your brain that is associated with working memory.
They also noticed changes in other parts of the brain, including
the occipital cortex (the visual processing center) and the
cerebellar cortex (which plays a role in motor control). The
researchers noted:
“These findings suggest that this imaging paradigm
could be useful for elucidating neurobiological mechanisms
underlying deficits in cortical activity in psychiatric
disorders associated with DHA deficiencies, including ADHD
and major depression.”
Omega-3 Fats Are Essential During Pregnancy (and Later in Life)
Too
A high-quality, animal-based omega-3 supplement is something
that I recommend for virtually everyone, especially if you're
pregnant, as the benefits likely begin in utero. Research has,
in fact, linked inadequate intake of omega-3 fats in pregnant
women to premature birth and low birth weight, in addition to
hyperactivity in children. So not only is this one healthful fat
your children should be consuming, but you should likely be
consuming as well – and this includes in later life, too.
It is a point well worth emphasizing that omega-3 fats are
considered essential because your body cannot produce them,
and must get them from your daily diet. DHA-rich foods include
wild fish, liver, and brain—all of which are no longer consumed
in great amounts by most Americans. When your omega-3 intake is
inadequate, your nerve cells become stiff and more prone to
inflammation as the missing omega-3 fats are substituted with
cholesterol and omega-6 instead. Once your nerve cells become
rigid and inflamed, proper neurotransmission from cell to cell
and within cells become compromised.
It's thought that the unsaturated fatty acid composition of
normal brain tissue is age-specific, which could imply
that in addition to their importance during brain development,
the older you get, the greater your need for animal-based
omega-3 fat to prevent mental decline and brain degeneration
becomes.4
For example, low DHA levels have been linked to memory loss
and Alzheimer's disease, and research suggests degenerative
conditions can not only be prevented but also potentially
reversed. For example, in one study, 485 elderly volunteers
suffering from memory deficits saw significant improvement after
taking 900 mg of DHA per day for 24 weeks, compared with
controls.5
The point is, consuming omega-3 fats is a lifelong
habit you should get into, just as important as drinking plenty
of pure water and eating vegetables…
What’s the Optimal Source of Omega-3 Fats?
While a helpful form of omega-3 (ALA) can be found in
flaxseed, chia, hemp, and a few other foods, the most beneficial
form of omega-3 -- containing the two fatty acids, DHA and EPA,
which are essential to brain function -- can only be found in
fish and krill. While your body can convert ALA into DHA/EPA, it
does so at a very low ratio, and only when sufficient enzymes
(that many people are deficient in) are present.
Unfortunately, nearly all EPA- and DHA-rich fish are now
severely contaminated with toxic mercury, which is why I
generally don’t recommend consuming fish on a regular basis.
About the only exception to this rule is
wild-caught Alaskan salmon or very small fish, like
sardines. Alaskan salmon is really the ONLY fish I eat
regularly, and the only one I feel comfortable recommending as a
good source of healthful fats. AVOID
farmed salmon, as it contains only about half of
the omega-3 levels of wild salmon. Farmed salmon may also
contain a range of harmful contaminants, including environmental
toxins, synthetic astaxanthin, and dangerous metabolic
byproducts and agrichemical residues of genetically engineered
organisms from the corn- and soy-based feed they’re given.
My latest recommendation for a source of high-quality omega-3
fats is
krill oil. The omega-3 in krill is attached to phospholipids
that increase its absorption, which means you need less of it,
and it won't cause belching or burping like many other fish oil
products. Additionally, it contains naturally occurring
astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant—almost 50 times more
than is present in fish oil.
This prevents the highly perishable omega-3 fats from
oxidizing before you are able to integrate them into your
cellular tissue. In laboratory tests,
krill oil remained undamaged after being exposed to a steady
flow of oxygen for 190 hours. Compare that to fish oil,
which went rancid after just one hour. That makes krill
oil nearly 200 times more resistant to oxidative damage (i.e.
rancidity) compared to fish oil! When purchasing krill oil,
you'll want to read the label and check the amount of
astaxanthin it contains. The more the better, but anything above
0.2 mg per gram of krill oil will protect it from rancidity.
Tips for Giving Omega-3 Fats to Kids
As for your kids, I recommend supplementing with krill oil
before and during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding. Infants
receive vital DHA through your breast milk, so if you can
continue breastfeeding through the first year, you will give
your child a great head start for success in life.
Then, as soon as your child can safely swallow a capsule, he
or she can start taking a high-quality krill oil supplement. The
capsules should be kid-sized – about half the size of a regular
capsule – and odor-free, making them easy and palatable for kids
to swallow.
© Copyright 1997-2013 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.