Childrens Omega 3

Parents need not look specifically for so-called "childrens omega 3 supplements" to get their kids the best product.

A label is merely a label -- often just used for marketing purposes to appeal to a niche, in order to drum up sales.

You must judge a product on its merits despite who it's advertised for. Before we discuss what criteria you should look for when deciding on childrens omega 3, let's talk briefly about its importance.

Omega 3 fatty acids are vitally important for our diets, and most of us in the Western world are deficient in these nutrients.

The reason childrens omega 3 supplements are in especially high demand is because toddlers and kids are still growing. Because the brain vitally requires copious amounts of omega 3 fatty acids in its developmental stage, and because many kids are lacking in omega 3's -- just like us adults -- concerned parents are trying to give their children the best start to life possible.

This is precisely the reason I myself started to look for a high quality childrens omega 3.

Choosing a Quality Product

The best omega 3 source hand's down is fish oil. Fish oil is preferable to vegetable and plant sources like flax seed. The reason is because in plant sources like flax seed, the omega 3 comes in ALA form which must be converted by the body into the other two crucial omega 3 fatty acids, called DHA and EPA.

This conversion does not always happen efficiently, which means getting DHA and EPA directly from fish oils is the best bet.

Just how important are DHA and EPA? Well, almost 60% of the brain's mass is fats, and half of those fats are DHA!

In short, DHA and EPA are crucial for optimal brain functioning and development.

Childrens Omega 3 Supplements

However, if you want to use fish oil as a childrens omega 3 supplement, like I do myself, then you should watch out for a few things:

1. You must only buy purified fish oil products. This is simply because much of the fish in the world harbors toxins due to contaminants in Ocean waters. This is regrettable, but it's a fact of life nonetheless. Purified fish oil products should use a process called molecular distillation which removes all contamination and leaves only the pure fish oil rich in omega 3 to be used in the products.

2. You must understand that not all fish species yield equally high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids -- DHA and EPA. I have personally discovered a fish oil supplement product that I use myself and also have my children using daily that contains naturally high DHA and EPA. You can learn more about this below. But just understand here that not all fish oils will give equal quantities of these omega 3's.

3. You should only buy what are called "pharmaceutical grade" fish oils, which are the highest quality products on the market.

Having said all of this, you should also understand, as we alluded to in the beginning, that there is no such thing as "childrens omega 3 supplements" per se. This is just clever marketing.

If you pick a good childrens omega 3 it will work for adults as well, and visa versa.

Now, it may be true your children are too young to swallow typical fish oil sized capsules. But, if such is the case, then you may do what I do personally for my kids: I simply cut gently into the fish oil capsule and then squeeze the contents into their meals, giving them their needed omega 3 fatty acids without need for swallowing capsules.

This also helps you determine the amount you are giving them.

The bottomline is that I give my children the same omega 3 fish oil supplement that I personally take myself, only in smaller amounts.

Once I was satisifed from extensive research that I had found the highest quality, purified fish oil on the market, it was only a matter of making sure my kids could also use them without having to worry about swallowing them.