The foundation for a healthy immune system for our kids is a healthy diet with all the vitamins and nutrients their growing bodies need, getting adequate exercise, and good sleep. Because our food sources can be so tainted with inadequate soil conditions, chemicals in the food, cooking the food which reduces half the nutrient value, etc it is no wonder that so many have decided to supplement. I am one of them. I don’t think a healthy diet alone will meet all of their needs…our food chain is just too messed up. But Many health officials are telling us we should supplement with fish oils. Dr. Sears is one such doctor who endorses them for their benefits to immunity and brain function.
Fish oils are rich in essential fatty acids, including omega-3s, so they provide a powerful immunity boost. I know that there are many moms that disagree with using this source of omega-3s, vegans included, but other sources such as flax seed may not be a very good alternative. Flax seeds contain the omega-3 fatty acid ALA that must be converted to DHA so that the body can incorporate it into cells and use it. Children make this enzyme only in small amounts, if at all. If they do not have the enzyme they will not benefit from the omega-3 fat in flax seeds. Newborns are completely unable to convert ALA to DHA. Even adults struggle with this conversion. Hence, flax seeds may not be an adequate source of DHA. That doesn’t mean we can’t give our kids flax seeds…mine love them…but I supplement with fish oils too. I am covering all my bases. You just need to make sure it is high quality so that you can avoid environmental contaminants associated with taking concentrated fish supplements.
One I came across recently is Omax3 where purity seems to be the name of the game. Omax3 omega-3 supplement is made from highly purified fish oil. It offers an unprecedented level of purity, potency and freshness – as well as a perfected balance of the omega-3 essential fatty acids EPA and DHA. They claim that the market has been dominated by expensive, poorly formulated supplements that contain as little as 30% omega-3s that mostly consist of marine bi-products, cholesterol, saturated fats, and environmental contaminants that can do more harm than good.
Omax3 claims that their formula is 91% pure and one of the highest quality fish oil supplements you can get. Their freezer test was really interesting. If you stick your fish oil capsules in the freezer for 24 hours and they get white and cloudy, they claim this is an indication that the capsules have a high lard content and a high impurity rate. After freezing Omax3 capsules remain clear. Pretty interesting. I may have to do more research into what makes some fish oil supplements superior to others.
