Where do you get Omega 3 Fats?
Sources of Omega 3
The # 1 natural source of omega-3 is
fish oil.
Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3, but so are other cold
water fish, such as; ancovy, mackerel and sardines. Unfortunately, most
kids don't like to eat these fish, and even if they did, you need to
worry about mercury and other toxins. Be prudent in eating a lot of
seafood because of our polluted lakes and rivers. Our bodies of water
have high levels of mercury and toxins emitted by factories and
industrial centers. You must use a fish oil supplement that is
molecularly distilled to remove harmful mercury and other toxins.
Other natural sources of omega-3 are walnuts,
flaxseed, olive oil, beans and winter squash. The National
Institutes of Health advise a daily intake of at least 2% of omega-3
fats. So if you eat the
equivalent of 2,000 calories a day your intake
of omega-3 should be at least 2 grams. Some experts, however, believe
that the 2% recommendation is not high enough and are in fact
recommending 4%. But ultimately, you'll understand that a
fish oil supplement is more beneficial because of the
EPA and
DHA it contains.
If you aren't sure that you're taking enough of the daily requirements of omega-3 from natural foods, the next best thing is to take omega-3 supplements. As adults we can choose fish oil supplements in a softgel. For children, there are great omega-3 chewable supplements that are available. If you want a liquid omega 3 supplement for your child, that would be much higher in DHA and EPA, then you can try Metagenics Balanced EPA-DHA Liquid which contains 600 mg of both DHA and EPA.
Another great alternative for kids, or adults for that matter is SmartyPants Gummy Vitamins. They are a natural chewable multivitamin with omega 3 fatty acids, and they taste great.
