Bledidoc Advice

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially those of the Omega-3 family, are fatty acids that are integral to many aspects of health, including fetal development, brain function, heart health, and immunity.(1) The Omega-6 family, are also important chemicals in the immune system.(21,22)

They’re considered essential fatty acids because your body cannot produce them by itself and needs to obtain them from food.(2)

Many studies suggest that supplementation with Omega-3 LCPUFAs offer several benefits for children:

1. May improve symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):

ADHD is a common condition linked to symptoms like hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and difficulty focusing.(3)

Some research indicates that Omega-3 supplements may help decrease ADHD symptoms in children: they improve memory, attention, learning, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, all of which are often affected by ADHD.(4)

Studies have shown that Omega-3/6 supplementation programmes can provide a promising adjunctive therapy to ADHD, lowering the dose of psychopharmacologic medications needed and subsequently improving compliance with these.(24)

2. Could reduce Asthma:

Some studies have found that Omega-3 fatty acid supplements help relieve Asthma symptoms like chest pain, breathing difficulties, coughing, and wheezing.(5,6,7)

A higher intake of Omega-3 fatty acids was correlated with a reduction in Asthma symptoms caused by indoor air pollution.(8)

3. Promotes better sleep:

Sleep disturbances affect nearly 4% of children under the age of 18.(9)

One study found that supplementing children with DHA (Omega 3 family) over 16 weeks decreased sleep interruptions and led to nearly 1 more hour of sleep per night.(10)

4. Enhances brain health:

Emerging research indicates that Omega-3 fatty acids may improve brain function and mood in children — in particular, learning, memory, and brain development(11): improved verbal learning ability and memory(12), increased activation of the prefrontal cortex (the region of the brain responsible for attention, impulse control, and planning)(13) and prevention of depression and mood disorders in children.(14-16)

Fatty fish (like salmon, mackerel and tuna), nuts, seeds, and plant oils are all excellent sources of Omega-3s.

Whereas Omega-6 fatty acids are present in a variety of plant foods, including vegetable oils

(such as corn oil, sunflower oil, soybeans oil), nuts, seeds (such as black currant seeds, borage seeds), and certain vegetables.(23)

Milk enriched with LCPUFAs is a good source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 in children who drink milk daily.

Consider supplements if the child doesn’t regularly eat fish or other foods high in Omega-3 and Omega- 6 fatty acids.

In general, most studies indicate that 120–1.300 mg of combined DHA and EPA (Omega-3 family) per day is beneficial for children,(17,18) with 0.5-1.6g of ALA (Omega-6 family).(19)

Dr Julien Lteif

Pediatric Allergist

^{1- Swanson D, Block R, Mousa SA. Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA: health benefits throughout life. Adv Nutr. 2012;3(1):1-7. doi:10.3945/an.111.000893}

^{2- Plourde M, Cunnane SC. Extremely limited synthesis of long chain polyunsaturates in adults: implications for their dietary essentiality and use as supplements [published correction appears in Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008 Feb;33(1):228-9]. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2007;32(4):619-634. doi:10.1139/H07-034}

^{3- Magnus W, Nazir S, Anilkumar AC, et al. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) [Updated 2019 Dec 10]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441838/}

^{4- Derbyshire, E. “Do Omega-3/6 Fatty Acids Have a Therapeutic Role in Children and Young People with ADHD?.” Journal of lipids vol. 2017 (2017): 6285218. doi:10.1155/2017/6285218}

^{5- H, Hata K. Dietary supplementation with fish oil rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with bronchial asthma. Eur Respir J. 2000;16(5):861-865. doi:10.1183/09031936.00.16586100}

^{6- Li J, Xun P, Zamora D, et al. Intakes of long-chain omega-3 (n-3) PUFAs and fish in relation to incidence of asthma among American young adults: the CARDIA study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;97(1):173-178. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.041145}

^{7- Yang H, Xun P, He K. Fish and fish oil intake in relation to risk of asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2013;8(11):e80048. Published 2013 Nov 12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080048}

^{8- Brigham EP, Woo H, McCormack M, et al. Omega-3 and Omega-6 Intake Modifies Asthma Severity and Response to Indoor Air Pollution in Children. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2019;199(12):1478-1486. doi:10.1164/rccm.201808-1474OC}

^{9- Meltzer LJ, Johnson C, Crosette J, Ramos M, Mindell JA. Prevalence of diagnosed sleep disorders in pediatric primary care practices. Pediatrics. 2010;125(6):e1410-e1418. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-2725}

^{10- Montgomery P, Burton JR, Sewell RP, Spreckelsen TF, Richardson AJ. Fatty acids and sleep in UK children: subjective and pilot objective sleep results from the DOLAB study--a randomized controlled trial. J Sleep Res. 2014;23(4):364-388. doi:10.1111/jsr.12135}

^{11- Stonehouse W. Does consumption of LC omega-3 PUFA enhance cognitive performance in healthy school-aged children and throughout adulthood? Evidence from clinical trials. Nutrients. 2014;6(7):2730-2758. Published 2014 Jul 22. doi:10.3390/nu6072730}

^{12- Dalton A, Wolmarans P, Witthuhn RC, van Stuijvenberg ME, Swanevelder SA, Smuts CM. A randomised control trial in schoolchildren showed improvement in cognitive function after consuming a bread spread, containing fish flour from a marine source. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2009;80(2-3):143-149. doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2008.12.006}

^{13- McNamara RK, Able J, Jandacek R, et al. Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation increases prefrontal cortex activation during sustained attention in healthy boys: a placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;91(4):1060-1067. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28549}

^{14- Osher Y, Belmaker RH. Omega-3 fatty acids in depression: a review of three studies. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2009;15(2):128-133. doi:10.1111/j.1755-5949.2008.00061.x}

^{15- Nemets H, Nemets B, Apter A, Bracha Z, Belmaker RH. Omega-3 treatment of childhood depression: a controlled, double-blind pilot study. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163(6):1098-1100. doi:10.1176/ajp.2006.163.6.1098}

^{16- Trebatická J, Hradečná Z, Böhmer F, et al. Emulsified omega-3 fatty-acids modulate the symptoms of depressive disorder in children and adolescents: a pilot study. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2017;11:30. Published 2017 Jul 5. doi:10.1186/s13034-017-0167-2}

^{17- Bos DJ, Oranje B, Veerhoek ES, et al. Reduced Symptoms of Inattention after Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation in Boys with and without Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015;40(10):2298-2306. doi:10.1038/npp.2015.73}

^{18- Nagakura T, Matsuda S, Shichijyo K, Sugimoto H, Hata K. Dietary supplementation with fish oil rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with bronchial asthma. Eur Respir J. 2000;16(5):861-865. doi:10.1183/09031936.00.16586100}

^{19- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/}

^{20- Gibson RA, Muhlhausler B, Makrides M. Conversion of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), with a focus on pregnancy, lactation and the first 2 years of life. Matern Child Nutr. 2011;7 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):17-26. doi:10.1111/j.1740-8709.2011.00299.x}

^{21- Khanapure SP, Garvey DS, Janero DR, Letts LG. Eicosanoids in inflammation: biosynthesis, pharmacology, and therapeutic frontiers. Curr Top Med Chem. 2007;7(3):311-340. doi:10.2174/156802607779941314}

^{22- Calder PC. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory processes: nutrition or pharmacology?. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2013;75(3):645-662. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04374.x}

^{23- https://www.rxlist.com/omega-6_fatty_acids/supplements.htm}

^{24- Derbyshire E. Do Omega-3/6 Fatty Acids Have a Therapeutic Role in Children and Young People with ADHD? Journal of Lipids Volume 2017, Article ID 6285218, 9 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/6285218}