We recently received a comment from a mother on how Omega 3 high in DHA helped her son who was struggling with reading in school. Rather than being “labeled with ADD, attention deficit disorder,” Dena Stinnett Pence decided to look at natural alternatives. And we can’t blame her.  In this case she used fish oil from another company.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, “a growing body of research finds that in the long run, achievement scores, grade-point averages or the likelihood of repeating a grade generally aren't any different in kids with ADHD who take medication compared with those who don't.”

In contrast, Science Daily reports that “Omega 3 can help children with ADD.” “Supplements of the fatty acids omega 3 and 6 can help children and adolescents who have a certain kind of ADHD,” states the article. “These are the findings of a dissertation at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, which also indicates that a special cognitive training program can improve problem behavior in children with ADHD.”

What is EPA and DHA anyway?

DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid and EPA stands for eicosapentaenoic acid. These fatty acids are Omega-3 fats found in cold-water fish. And Omega 3 fatty acids are regarded as building-blocks for the brain and are crucial for a child’s development and growth, including eye function. In fact, DHA is an essential nutrient the retina of the eye needs in order to provide for optimal, neuronal functioning (learning ability and mental development) and visual acuity.

Unfortunately, most children are deficient in the DHA and EPA essential to their daily diets. This is where fish oil comes in as it contains these vital, Omega-3 fatty acids which many studies have found are essential for brain development, cognitive function,  healthy skin, to support calm quality sleep, a healthy immune system, and more. And we know that many children do not like to eat fish. This is one of the reasons we created our small, easy-to-swallow Omega 3 mini.

Dena Stinnett Pence believes that fish oil worked for her, and while she did not use Xtend-Life fish oil, we thought it was important to share her experience with you:

“Within 3 months, he went up 3 reading levels! When I met w/ his teacher, she thought I put him on meds & was baffled when I explained what I was doing. I advise all parents to do research. As I said, I did not use this product but I know omega 3 worked wonders for my son and its defiantly worth looking into & talking to a doctor before going the medication route with all the side affects!”

While the degree of benefit will vary with each child, isn’t Omega 3 supplementation something worth researching if it can potentially help your son or daughter’s health, wellbeing or education?

For additional information on Omega 3 fish oil, please see this information on our site.