Fish Oil for Children

Fish oil being a great source of omega 3 essential fatty acids, its consumption surely has long-term health benefits. The constituents in fish oil provide a healthy heart and are necessary for normal growth of the brain. Supplementing the diet with fish oil can help maintain normal vision and greatly reduce the risk of diseases such as colon and breast cancer.

Benefits

Nowadays, fish oil has also been prescribed for children to improve their overall mental health. Symptoms of certain respiratory disorders like asthma, have considerably reduced in children due to intake of fish oil supplements. Other benefits of fish oil for kids are given below:

Maximize Brain Function
It can maximize brain health and is especially useful in children with learning disorders. No wonder, fish oil supplements are referred as brain sharp capsules.

Increases Concentration Power
Lack of concentration in any activity can hinder the progress of the child. Many children also complain about lowered concentration level while studying. However, intake of fish oil in the prescribed dosage can boost concentration in children.

Improves Memory
It is found that children with weak memory benefit by taking fish oil supplements. Short term memory loss decreases a child's ability to remember information about important events. This can also affect his ability to learn new things. However, research has shown that a diet that includes fish can increase memory function in children. In fact, fish oil is a boon for children with memory problems.

Relieves Symptoms of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Fish oil is another non-drug treatment that has shown promising results to reduce ADHD symptoms. Also referred as attention deficit disorder, a child diagnosed with ADHD shows acute lack of inattentiveness while studying or performing any activity. This is a behavioral disorder in which the children are hyperactive and find it difficult to focus, while performing any task. Trouble in focusing can lead to learning disability, thus affecting their ability to succeed in life. However, fish oil has emerged as a ray of hope for children with ADHD. A study was conducted to verify whether fish oil could curb ADHD symptoms. For a stipulated period of 3 months, school going children were put on fish oil supplements that were high in omega-3 essential fatty acids. Results were encouraging, as the children displayed better sustained attention while doing any task. Also, there was a significant positive change in their behavior and learning skills.

Improves Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a disorder that interferes with the child's intellectual ability. This learning disorder, considerably restricts a child's ability to read, write and talk properly. Children with dyslexia are unable to spell words correctly in a written text. The good news is that this learning disability can be treated with fish oil for children. Research has found that intake of fish oil capsules can improve reading and writing skills of children with dyslexia.

How Much Fish Oil for Kids?

Considering side effects of fish oil, administering it to children in large doses is not recommended. To reap benefits of fish oil, giving a small dose is a better option to be on the safer side. Depending upon the age of the child, appropriate dosage is given. For instance, children who are less than 3 years of age, the recommended dosage should not be more than 0.8 grams. Children in between 9 to 13 years of age are generally given a small dose of 1.2 grams.

Remember, although fish oil has plenty of health benefits, using it as instructed by the health care provider, can go a long way in keeping its side effects at bay. Fish oil overdose can trigger stomach problems in children, so one needs to consult a doctor, to know the correct dosage.