The Connection Between Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Children’s Health
Today, compared to 30, or even 20 years ago, there has been a spike in the amount of people who are overweight or obese.
In fact, current statistics show that there are a number of states where the obesity rates are sky high.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for chronic disease development including: heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and some cancers.
To make matters worse, besides the number of overweight or obese adults, there are a growing number of children that are also overweight or obese.
This is troublesome for healthcare providers who are seeing an increasing number of eight and nine-year olds who have fat accumulation in their livers as well as type two diabetes and higher cholesterol levels.
Current research shows that the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA may be effective at reducing not only inflammation, but also weight.
A study published in Neuroendocrinology Letters, could show an association between omega-3 fatty acids and weight loss in overweight children.
Let me explain…
The State of Our Youth
There are many scary statistics as it relates to being overweight or obese.
The scariest statistic by far, is how our current generation of children, teens, and young adults are projected to have a far shorter lifespan than previous generations.
The rise in obesity has also led to a rise in cancer, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome in children as young at eight.
Of course, the best way to decrease weight and improve statistics is to eat a healthy diet and have a well-structured exercise plan in
place that focus on creating a calorie deficit.
The authors of this study aimed to evaluate an increase in the intake of the omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, and how they affect blood markers and other assessments in overweight children following physical activity intervention.
They performed a randomized, crossover study on 120 children who were between the ages of eight and 12, who were instructed to
consume 300 mg of DHA and 42 mg of EPA daily for three weeks.
They assessed anthropometric and biochemical blood markers at the beginning, after 3 weeks, and at the end of the study.
Their data showed that 300 mg of DHA and 42 mg of EPA led to a decrease in weight and total cholesterol concentration compared to the children who did not consume DHA.
From their work, they concluded that daily consumption of 300 mg of DHA and 42 mg of EPA for three weeks could lead to improvements in anthropometric and blood lipid profiles of obese children following physical intervention.
Although this research needs further research to verify their findings, it does provide a potential new option to include for overweight or obese children to better their overall health.
It also may strengthen the already strong argument that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial to your overall health.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Children’s Health
Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown beneficial to bettering heart, eye, and brain health.
They have also been shown beneficial in improving the health of children, which makes it a very important nutrient for all ages to be included as part of a healthy nutrition plan.
According to the results of this study, including DHA and EPA following an exercise intervention on children, could results in increased weight loss as well as better lipid profiles.
Increasing fish intake, vitamins supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids, or other omega-3 fatty acids rich sources, could lead to overall health improvements in obese children following an exercise intervention.
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References:
Vasickova L, Slavek P, Suchanek P. Possible effect of DHA intake on body weight reduction and lipid metabolism in obese children. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2011;32 Suppl 2:84-7.
About Jayson Hunter & Jaylab Pro
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Jaylab Pro was founded by Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter. Jayson has been recognized as one of America's foremost weight loss experts by America's Premier Experts™. He has also been featured in USA Today for this accomplishment. Jayson is also a best-selling author having co-authored multiple books in health & fitness and business growth. Jayson and the Jaylab Pro team are proud to create content that helps improve the lives of millions of people around the world. We hope you enjoy it just as much as others have.