What can Omega-3 during and after pregnancy do for your kids?
Omega-3 from fish oil has been strongly associated with:
- Birth weight*
- Reduced pre-term births*
- Healthy brain function*
- Eye development*
- reading ability*
- IQ and behavior*.
- ‘Less bed-time resistance’ (Yesss!)
Fewer waking episodes and an hour of extra sleep, says a new study.
Things to remember:
- Moms need extra Omega-3 before pregnancy and especially during the last trimester and breast feeding.
- Make sure formula is fortified with Omega-3. Once you move to milk, make sure it is organic, full-fat and preferably grass-fed.
- Once they’re eating solid foods, get them used to eating wild salmon instead of supplements. Keep trying. Get clever.
- Omega-3 gummies are sugary junk. There’s very little Omega-3 and lot of sugar and other useless stuff.
- Omega-3 smoothies are great options for picky eaters.
- Flavored liquid fish oils and flavored gelatin capsules are effective but not for picky eaters.
- Plant-based Omega-3 (Flax, Chia) are not useful as fish-based Omegas.
DHA is the key Omega-3 for infants but as the brain growth slows at about age 3, the need for DHA decreases. After 3, kids need a balance of both EPA and DHA.*
How much Omega-3 does your child need?
- Aim for 5 mg of DHA per pound of body weight for infants 6 to 24 months of age.*
- Birth to 12 months: may take up to 500 mg per day of combined DHA and EPA.
- Kids 1 to 3 may take up to 700 mg per day.
- Kids 4 to 8 may take up to 900 mg per day.
- Kids 9 to 13 may take up to 1200 mg per day.
- Older teenagers may require as much as 1600 mg daily.
World Health Organization suggests conservative levels. US Institute of Medicine recommends numbers the numbers above. Wild salmon eaten two or three times a week may meet these needs.
FACT: American kids 1-5 years of age get a shockingly low 20 mg DHA per day.
Still, very few families seem to get enough Omega-3 from actual seafood. Possibly because of the cost or available seafood is no longer fresh and stinks up the house when cooked.
Lack of cooking skills is another – this is why I have my foodie friend on speaker phone when we get the salmon out.
Omega-3 Product Options For Your Kids
Coromega Kids Omega-3 Squeeze Orange
Cost: $14.99 for 30 packets (serving = 1 packet)
Fish oil: 2000 mg
Omega-3: 650 mg
EPA: 350 mg
DHA: 230 mg
Ingredients: egg yolk, ascorbic acid, natural orange flavor, natural pineapple flavor, stevia, vegetable oil, sodium ascorbate, d-alpha tocopherol, citric acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, beta carotene, xanthan gum, menthol, cholecalciferol.
My comments: Coromega has been the go-to product for people who can’t handle pills or gulping plain fish oil by the spoonful. There is a solid dose of Omega-3 in each packet. I’m not happy about the preservatives and the gums. Otherwise, this is a very versatile form of Omega-3 for the whole family. The extra Vitamin D3 is sort of a bonus (like the dealer throwing in floor mats with your new car) – but for D3 to be properly used, you need Vitamins A and K2.
What my 3-year-old twins said: a spoonful by itself did not go over well. They looked at me with a ‘how could you?’ face and ran away. But when mixed with fruit sauce or smoothie, it was barely noticed.
Smarty Pants Kids Complete
Cost: $ $16.49/120 gummies
GOTCHA WARNING: 4 gummy serving!!
1 gummy provides:
Fish oil: 75 mg
Omega-3: 25 mg
EPA: 14 mg
DHA: 7 mg
Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic tapioca syrup, gelatin, pectin, citric acid, natural flavors, colors from black carrot juice, annatto and turmeric.
My comments: these are popular and yummy. But a serving size is four gummies and that adds up to a lot of unwanted sugar and processed ingredients and very little Omega-3. It’s the gummy curse. No gummy that tastes good has enough Omega-3. The packaging is clever, cute and whispers all the right things. The product ultimately leaves out the most important thing (to me at least!) – Omega-3. It’s candy masquerading as Omega-3. Pass.
What my 3-year-old twins said: they wanted more. (Of course, they did! It’s a candy with a halo.)
Nordic Natural Omega-3 Gummies
Cost: $22.95 for 60 gummies
Gotcha alert: 2 gummy serving!
1 gummy provides:
Omega-3: 41 mg
EPA + DHA: 34 mg
Ingredients: organic tapioca syrup, organic sugar, porcine gelatin, pectin, citric acid, natural flavor, natural color, sodium citrate.
My comments: I like this product a bit more than most Omega gummies. I generally like most product made by Nordic Naturals because the ingredients are safe and inoffensive. There is a combined EPA + DHA number instead of separating them out – I don’t like that. With young kids, I’m interested in DHA and I’d like to know amount of DHA. I still hesitate recommending this product, not because of the missing DHA number, but because it’s good-for-you candy. That’s as good a gummy gets.
(If you opt for Omega gummies, do not buy Lil Critters or VitaFusion – they inflate their Omega-3 numbers with ALA (plant) Omega-3, which are not as effective as EPA and DHA Omega-3 from fish oil. This is a deceptive practice.)
What my 3-year-old twins said: ‘Can I have more?’
Barleans Kid’s Omega Swirl
Cost: 8 oz bottle, $11.69
1 teaspoon serving:
Omega-3: 513 mg
EPA: 180 mg
DHA: 180 mg
Ingredients: water, xylitol, glycerine, gum arabic, natural flavors, citric acid, xanthan gum, guar gum, turmeric, sorbic acid, d-alpha tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate.
My comments: This is a good dose of Omega-3. These smoothie type products are great for kids. If you can get it new and fresh, then your kids will probably like it. Mine did. But I’ve also received a stinky bottle from Amazon.com. The problem is that ‘smoothie’ Omega-3s have water in them and no matter how much you try to keep the product chilled or away from oxygen, there will always be some oxygen in the water. And that oxygen will react with the Omega-3 causing rancidity. The shelf-life for smoothie Omegas is only about 6 months at best and the product may spend the best weeks of its life getting transported to a store near you.
Oh – note the mish-mosh of preservatives, gums and sugar alcohols. I gave it to my kids just to hear their opinion. You may or may not want to give some of these ingredients to your kids.
What my 3-year-old twins said: They didn’t say anything. They didn’t dislike it and would probably be happy to have another spoonful if I offered more.
Nordic Naturals Baby’s DHA
Cost: $13.56 for 2 oz. bottle
Serving size gotcha: 5 ml serving! Dropper provided is for 1 ml.
Serving size: 1 dropper (1 ml)
Omega-3: 210 mg
EPA: 70 mg
DHA: 97 mg
Ingredients: cod liver oil, rosemary extract, d-alpha tocopherol (Vit E), cholecalciferol (Vit D3) in olive oil.
My comments: this was the very first baby DHA product that I purchased after my twins were born. The idea was to put a dropper of it into their milk. We tried it once and tossed the bottle – it was off-the-charts rancid. This is rare for Nordic Naturals, as they usually don’t sell stinky stuff. The whole house stunk and the stench was hard to get off the bottles.
What my 3-year-old twins said: of course, they were too young to comment, but they flatly refused the bottle with 1 ml of the product mixed in with 8 oz of milk. Imagine if I’d given the kids 5 ml like the label suggests.
Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fishies
Cost: $21.25 for 36 servings
Serving size: 1 fishie
Omega-3: 300 mg
EPA: 150 mg
DHA: 100 mg
Ingredients: fish oil, xylitol, purified water, sorbitol, gelatin, natural tutti frutti flavor, citric acid, trisodium citrate, paprika extract, canola oil.
My comments: These are NOT gummies. This is a high-tech candy with a meaningful dosage of Omega-3 in each tasty fish-shaped gelatinous fishy thingie. They’re expensive, your fingers get a little oily when you eat them and have some less-than-ideal ingredients like sugar alcohols and canola oil (definitely not non-GMO), but despite all of that, this is my favorite product of the bunch. There is water in the formula, so I expect the shelf-life to be shorter than promised.
This product is definitely worth trying.
What my 3-year-old twins said: they will happily eat it.
Nordic Naturals Omega Boost
Cost: $18.99 for 6 oz. bottle.
Serving size: 1 teaspoon (5 ml) – roughly 30 servings per bottle.
Omega-3: 525 mg
EPA: 270 mg
DHA: 165 mg
Ingredients: water, fish oil, xylitol, glycerol, natural mango flavor, gum arabic, citric acid, rosemary extract, guar gum, sorbic acid, xanthan gum, d-alpha-tocopherol, natural vanillin crystals, vegetable juice color, turmeric extract, mixed tocopherols.
My comments: This is a comparable product to Barleans Swirl. It has a laundry list of ingredients necessary to make fish oil taste acceptable to picky kids. Turning fish oil into an emulsion smoothie, to make it taste decent and not go rancid overnight is not easy. So the food scientists who concocted this brew must have felt like they needed all the other ingredients. It’s the price you pay for taste.
Besides that, I thought it tasted pretty good and there is a solid dose of Omega-3 per teaspoon. Between Barleans Kids’ Swirl and this, I’d go with this.
What my 3-year-old twins said: when I gave them the smoothie by itself, one of them wanted more and the other ran away. So, 50/50. Your mileage may vary. I then tried adding a teaspoon to a freshly made blueberry, banana, coconut milk smoothie – they picked up the taste right away and would not have the smoothie, which they otherwise love. May be I should have added it to something unfamiliar.
NatureMade Fish Oil Pearls
Cost: $11.99 for 90 pearl-sized pills
Serving size hype alert: bottle label is for 3 pearls, not one. Each pill does NOT have 500 mg of Omega-3.
Omega-3 per pill: 183 mg
DHA per pill: 92 mg
EPA per pill: 76 mg
Ingredients: fish oil, gelatin, glycerin, water, tocopherol.
My comments: These ‘pearls’ have a kid-friendly size. It may work very well for older kids who can manage to swallow pills. May not work so well for toddlers. My kids are more likely to play with these things or stomp on them than swallow them as instructed, so I haven’t offered. They’re small enough that I can swallow these by the handful. Worth a try.
L’il Critters Omega-3 DHA
Cost: $7.99 for 120 gummies
Serving size gotcha: label is based on 2 gummies
Omega-3 per gummy: 50 mg
DHA per gummy: 16 mg
EPA per gummy: ?
ALA per gummy: 34 mg
Ingredients: Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Gelatin, Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin, Citric Acid, Carrot and Blueberry Juices (Color), Black Carrot Juice Extract (Color), Turmeric (Cucuma Longa) (Color), Lactic Acid, Fumaric Acid.
My comments: the first two ingredients are glucose and sugar. That’s all I need to know. But the real gotcha here is that the Omega-3 number is fluffed up with ALA Omega-3 from Flax. ALA Omega-3 is very poorly absorbed by the body and it is fairly useless as is because it needs to be converted by the body to EPA and DHA. Granted kids do this better than adults, but hardly any of the ALA is converted to essential DHA. So most of the Omega-3 in this product is not usable. We don’t know how much EPA is present, but each sugary gummy has just 16 mg of DHA.
What my 3-year-old twins said: I’m not giving this to my children, no matter how many truckloads of it they sell at Costco. The wild alaskan salmon that Costco has in the summer…now that I’ll give to my kids.
What I give my kids
We do our best to get Omega-3 through diet.
The best ways are:
- Eggs, especially from chicken raised outdoors in pastures. Chicken are DHA concentrating machines! They pack all the DHA into the yolks. Eggs are near-perfect foods for kids (who’re not sensitive or allergic to it!) and contain several nutrients shown to help with attention and behavior.
- Grass-fed beef has much higher levels of Omega-3 than standard grain-fed beef.
- Seafood, obviously. (Introducing salmon as ‘pink chicken’ seemed to go over well. Halibut is ‘white chicken.’) Vital Choice has salmon burger patties – not cheap, but great quality. Kids will need repeated (almost a dozen) exposure to accept new stuff. They may even need to see you and/or siblings eat salmon before they’ll try it.
- Dairy from grass-fed cows have much higher levels of Omega-3.
You’ll have to get clever. 2-year-olds are fairly easy to fool – we sold them kale chips as ‘green bacon.’ Score!
Finally, it’s good to remember that health starts in the kitchen and not the medicine cabinet because no supplement or drug can outrun a bad diet.
Your Turn…
If you know any tricks or have tried any products that I’ve not listed above, post a comment below.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Hey Vin:
Interesting roundup… Apparently nobody makes kid-sized gel caps that they can just swallow whole? All the processing in these brands seems silly… also, I guess you can’t just squeeze an Omegavia into a smoothie and have it taste ok?
Hi Brian – actually, there were a couple of kid-sized gel caps. I need to look into it and see if they are still available. If so, I’ll add them to this review. I’ll continue to add other kid-friendly products to this post as I find them. Stay tuned.
I was looking at the scale by age and my son’s doctor told me 1 to 2 grams a day. When I compare to your scale it seems high, he’s only 5 1/2 (though he weights in at 54lb.) I have fish oil here at the house, do you believe the dose of 1 to 2 grams is high? Thanks Rachel
Hi Rachel – 1 to 2 grams of what? Fish oil or Omega-3? Typical fish oil contains 20-30% Omega-3. So 2 grams of fish oil may only contain 500 mg of Omega-3. This is OK.
But I think in terms of Omega-3. I think 2 grams of Omega-3 is too high for a 54 lb child. It’d be OK for a few weeks if the child is being treated for mood or attention disorders. My kids are roughly that age/size and I would not give them 2000 mg every day. May be 1000 mg or 1 gram. I’m much more comfortable with 500 mg per day for a kid that size.
Get this clarified by your doctor – I’m sure he/she had a good reason for the recommendation.
Should kids 7-10 take omega-3 and fish oil? What is the best supplement to give them?
Hi Shannon – that depends on what you’re feeding them. if they’re eating salmon and other seafood 3 to 4 times a week, then no, they dont need Omega-3. Otherwise, choose from the above list.
Do you have any recommendations for kid-sized swallowable pills for 9 and 11 year old needing a focus and concentration boost? I was looking for the 4 to 1 EPA to DHA ratio and mercury-free, of course. Also needing 500mg of EPA.
Hi Lisa – if you’re looking for pills and your kids can swallow smallish pills, then take a look at OmegaVia EPA 500. Virtually all fish oils are mercury free. And there is nothing magical about the 4:1 ratio. EPA helps with mood and focus but you also need DHA for a lot of things. Get DHA from Omega-3 eggs and salmon. You can also try liquid flavored Omega-3 as a DHA source.
All this aside, the elephant in the room is diet.
If your kids are having focus and concentration issues, it’s time to look at a diet that’s free of sugar, juices, processed grains, cereals etc. Look into whole-foods-only diet like a modified paleo. Basically eat stuff that was alive last week. Lots of outdoor activity in the sun for Vitamin D. Lack of Omega-3 is often an issue, but it’s almost never the only reason why kids can’t concentrate.
My kids don’t ingest alot of sugar and hardly any juice but may eat too much processed cereal. I can certainly work on diet. I thought the DHA could negate the effect of the EPA, thus the 4 to 1 ratio? Is it recommended to give children EPA alone to help with focus, concentration and mood? What is the recommended amount of EPA versus DHA for children that need help? Often the omega-3 is bunched together.
Hi Lisa – EPA and DHA are not opposing fats like Omega-3 and Omega-6. Our bodies need both EPA and DHA. People with inflammatory conditions like depression seem to respond well when given high-EPA oils but that does not mean your kids don’t need DHA – they do! They are both essential fats. If your kids are getting enough DHA from their diet (eggs and salmon) then, yes, you can give them EPA by itself. There is no golden rule of ratios or amounts when it comes to EPA and kids. At 9 and 11, they will probably do well with 1000 mg EPA if they are having focus/mood issues. It could also be a bunch of other dietary, environmental and lifestyle factors as well. Genetics to a small degree. Nutrient wise, you may want to try magnesium. We make a good formula in pill form: http://www.amazon.com/MAGNESIUM-InnovixLabs-Bioavailable-Bisglycinate-Vegetarian/dp/B00QSR9D9I one or two pills a day will help – but if pills are an issue, try Natural Calm mixed into their water.
Get them used to the taste of a squeezed capsule as babies. All of my kids and now my granddaughter took it willingly . Don’t wait until they’re toddlers.
Hi Vin,
My son takes 2 Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Junior soft gels daily (he chews them.) Comes in strawberry flavor, 90 gels for $29.95 from Nordic Naturals, about 33 cents/gel. Amazon is $25.46, about 28 cents/gel. One serving of 2 gels has 325 mg EPA, 225 mg DHA and 90 mg other O-3’s.
I opened an adult sized capsule and added it to his milk which he drank within 10, 15 minutes. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to mind/notice the taste at all. Does this work also ? It’s cheaper than the chewables 🙂
Your opinion on stevia please. It’s used as a sweetener in some of Natural Calm (by Natural Vitality) flavored magnesium powder. Is organic stevia safe to take long term ?
Thanks.
DPK
Hi DPK – that’s great that he takes the flavored softgels. If he’ll take the oil directly in his milk, I think he may be ready for one of the liquid fish oil products – try Nordic’s liquid items. See if he can handle a quarter teaspoon directly. This will save you the trouble of slicing open slightly pressurized softgels – the last time I cut open an OmegaVia pill, it squirted across the kitchen!
Stevia is OK. Just OK. As you know, I am not a fan of ANY non-caloric sweetener. Mostly because artificial sweeteners trick the tongue but not the brain…the brain still prepares the body for digesting sugar by releasing insulin and high insulin levels lead to several ‘bad juju’ including increased appetite and obesity. But Stevia does not seem to have this effect from the papers I’ve read. At least not to the same degree as synthetic sweeteners. So a little bit of Stevia is fine. I would not make it a daily thing because we don’t know the long term effects.
Vin;
It’s been nearly a year (on April 3rd) since I first reached out to contact you following the results of my last lipid profile, which revealed my Triglyceride level to be 257.
Almost immediately I started an Omega-Via regimin of two capsules a day, eliminated the daily double dose of skim milk and chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast kick I was on and gave orange juice the heave-ho.
I had another lipid profile last Friday, and met with my physician this morning for the annual check up. Vin, my Triglycerides tumbled dramatically down to a staggering 65. SIXTY-FIVE VIN!!!!! from 257. A 192 drop. I nearly fell off the table. HDL was 40 and LDL was 137. Not horrible (albeit I would like to get that HDL up a bit…)
I absolutely couldn’t wait to get to my computer to send you the news, so much so I thought I would get a speeding ticket on the way home. Vin, there is no doubt in my mind that diet alone did not bring down my Triglycerides to that amazing level. The Omega-Via’s had a heck of alot to do with that, and I am grateful to you for your advice and recommendations you made to me a year ago. I am nearly 56 years of age and by the way, my prostate is perfect (knocking wood…..) just in case the bogus studies of fish oil and prostate cancer last year spooked anyone away from fish oil.
You’re not going to be pleased with this Vin, but I still LOVE breakfast cereals and have not cut back on my consumption one bit. I have however, opted for better and (hopefully) healthier choices and don’t reach for the sugery stuff as often. I clocked in at 158 lbs, and still try to run/walk several miles, 4 days a week. So I am over the moon as I write this to you. I am on the auto-shipment plan for my Omega-Via’s, and for anyone out there considering giving Omega-Via a try and reads my post, I would simply say, DO NOT DELAY IN ORDERING. If you have an elevated Triglyceride issue, by all means adopt a ‘common sense’ diet and make the necessary lifestyle changes and TAKE OMEGA VIA! You just may be as pleasantly stunned as I was following your next lipid profile. Thanks Vin, and keep up the good work. I’ll keep you posted as to my future results. Be well.
Dave
WOW WOW, Dave! Yes, I remember our exchange – you were not too thrilled about the breakfast cereal thing. But clearly, you’ve dropped enough of the sugary stuff to bring your triglyceride back into normal range. I’m thrilled to hear this. Your TG/HDL ratio is a very nice 1.6, which is a number that I wish more people/doctors would pay attention to. It is ideal to keep it under 3. 1 is excellent.
Again, great news and keep us posted.
Hi Dave – Congrats. Keep it up !! Very motivating article for me. Can you please share something more about your diet ? What do you have for Lunch, evening snaks and dinner?
Thanks,
Ritz.
Hello Ritz!
Thank you for the encouraging comment. I do apologize for the delay in responding, as I just plain didn’t even see it until this morning…….My diet is largely free of red meat, with rare exception. I have breakfast cereals to start the day, and never eat lunch. Dinner is usually comprised of fish, pasta, a variety of soups, salads, pizza once a week. I (try to) walk/run at least three to four days a week. It is not a strict diet by any means. I deny myself nothing I really want, but animal fats are pretty much out. I drink only water when I’m home, or a glass of sugar-free almond milk. A glass or 2 of wine on the weekend is not out of the question. A Gala apple every evening has taken the place of sweeter snacks I used tgo indulge in. Sugar has always been my Achilles heel….I am an absolute addict. No one loves chocolate, pies, cookies etc. more than me. Table sugar is out, Truvia and Stevia are in. I have tempered my sugar intake quite a bit over the past year or so, just as a ‘common sense’ approach to better health. Goodness knows I am not 18 any longer, and I shouldn’t be eating as though I were. I have always been an advocate of ‘anything in moderation’. And I do not for one moment discount what Omega-Via has meant for my recent Lipid numbers. Yes, personal discipline is important, however supplementing better choices with Omega-Via is quite simply an obvious notion. There is ample research out there suggesting that a daily regiment of Omega-Via can do nothing but help improve the overall health of your heart, joints and brain. It’s not a miraculous cure for anything, nor does it claim to be. It is just a high quality, pharmaceutical grade Omega 3 supplement designed to lower Triglycerides, help the heart work more efficiently, reduce the accumulation of plaque in coronary arteries, ease joint discomfort and reportedly aides brain function. What’s not to like about any of that? Anyway, thank you Ritz for taking the time to reach out to me. I am honored that you would invest your time to do so. I hope this was at least remotely helpful to you. Good luck and be well!
Dave
Hello, could you recommend one good omega 3 for a 13 old boy (85 pounds) who has problem with foods sensitivity,poor concentration, very skinny, moody and anxious. I heard omega 3 could help him but I don’t know what dosage and which brand would you
recommend for him. Thank you.
Hi Nathalie – a 13-year old should be able to swallow some larger pills. Try this: http://www.amazon.com/Pharma-Grade-InnovixLabs-Concentrated-Burp-Free-Capsules/dp/B00F5ZV6W6/ I would suggest 2 or 3 per day. We make this product too. I would suggest magnesium and Vit D3 too.
Given what you’ve said, I think you need to go back to looking at diet and lifestyle. http://authoritynutrition.com/11-paleo-low-carb-registered-dietitians-with-blogs/
I have just found this site which is very honest and clear…I am always interested in health matters..am a razor thin boyish fiftyish looking man who is really nearly 84..In Britain there is great concern about high levels of suicide among young teenagers etc…recently a young girl hung herself and social media was greatly criticised
In realty this girl(from photos etc) was an intelligent lookingbeautiful girl BUTwere her legs a bit thin..her bottom flat,…her breasts flat etc…It is very easy to see this lovely girl being bullied ceaselessly…Are you turning into a boy? Are you transgender? etcetc Even if there was no bullying the girl herself may have had fears
I believe it is VITAL that parents realise their children in this sex obsessed age may have huge fears about their sexual development…may fear their penis /breasts are not developing normally etc
Parents must talk to their children about these crippling fears and if possible even take them to the doctor(easy and free in Britain with its NHS).Taking good vitamins especially zinc and others is essential
Hi Vin, my 8 year old daughter takes 1 softchew of Bluebonnet Rainforest AnimalZ, it has 550 mg of fish oil, 100 mg of DHA and 24 mg of EPA. Made from wild caught Tuna. Ingredients in this order: Gelatin, glycerin, purified water, natural fruit flavors, xylitol, cellulose, mixed tocopherols. Should I give her 2 of these per day? I’m interested in how you would position this one against your favorite, Nordic fish. Let me know your thoughts and thanks!!
Hi Carole – this is not really a kid’s product. The packaging is kid-friendly but otherwise, it is just a flavored softgel. That’s why it didn’t make my list. But, hey, your kid’s eating it, so that’s all that matters! Yes, I’d go with two of these a day. Or better yet, try some of the other flavored softgels or liquids. The Nordic fishies are still my favorite kids’ product.
Hi can you tell me whats the best omega 3 fish oil want to try it for my 14year-old son he’s on 45’ml conceter
Hi Mary – I assume you mean Concerta for ADHD. A 14-year-old ought to be able to swallow larger pills. I’d go with any concentrated Omega-3 supplement that gives him about 2000 mg of Omega-3. It seem to help some kids but not all.
Hello!
I see that you commented about magnesium, but nothing specific. I’m looking to start magnesium for my 5 yr old in conjunction with omega 3s. He weighs 48 pounds and dr is suggesting autism testing/ADHD. Can you give some suggestions on magnesium? Also, the Nordic fishies are out of stock on the Nordic naturals website…. I was thinking we needed to start with between 250-500mg dha???? Suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Brianne – try this for magnesium: http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Calm-Raspberry-Lemon-16/dp/B00BPUY3W0/
You should be able to get Nordic fishies from other website – may be Amazon or iherb?
250-500 mg of Omega-3 is plenty.
I don’t think you can supplement your way out of ADHD. You will need a thorough diet makeover for your kid. I suggesting getting a whole food or paleo based dietitian to help you.
Thank you!
How much of the Natural Calm should a 5 year old and 2 year old take? The bottle doesn’t give guidelines per age. I have no idea how much they should get.
Thank you!
Hi Jan – I’d give 200 mg to the 5 yo and 100 mg to the 2 yo. But if you can split up the dose into two, it’ll help avoid any digestive distress. Adults should aim for 400 to 500 mg.
Hi!,could you recommend one good omega 3 , DHA for a 3 old boy.
Thank´s!
Hi Leila – the Nordic Fishies I discuss above is perfect. It has enough DHA.
Hi Vin, I hope all is well. I have a few questions as it relates to my babies. Firstly, I take a product called ” Ocean Blue” pharmaceutical grade highly purified omegas. It has 675 mg of EPA, 300mg of DHA and 75mg of “other” Omega 3. I’m a nursing mother of a 5 month old and I was wondering if you thought this was a good fit for me and baby. Question 2: is algal or fish omegas better? Lastly, what is the best way to get my 4 and 5 yr old DHA or is having more EPA best for them
Hi Candice – yes, Ocean Blue is fine. It’s very similar to OmegaVia. You may want to consider taking two of those a day since you’re nursing. One pill takes care of your needs and it’s good to have a little extra when nursing. (And it’s incredibly healthy that you ARE nursing!) No difference in benefits between algae and fish based Omega-3 as far as benefits for the body. Algae is a lot more expensive and you can feel better about the environment. I would not fret about EPA and DHA ratios for kids yet – yes, they need DHA and EPA but just getting ANYTHING into them is fine. My kids love the Nordic Fishies.
Hi again and thanks a lot for the info! When I read a lot of the Mommy websites and even Webmd, etc. do they promote such a low dosage of Omegas? 250-300 is what they suggest on the high end which seems miniscule.
Hi Candice – ‘mommy websites’ and WebMD are often going off each other and the old recommendations. Most mommy websites are great for sleep training help and things like that – my wife and I still read a few of them. But they’re not the best for cutting edge nutritional info. I know WebMD has a good reputation, but I am often shocked at the stuff they say. When my wife became pregnant, I went straight to PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine. It’s not easy to read and you have to pay big bucks to get access to all the science papers, but based on my research, 250-300 mg is not adequate for pregnant or nursing moms. For babies and toddlers, yes. But once they’re old enough to be in preschool, 250 mg may not be enough.
Again, I truly appreciate your speedy reply and knowledge. I have now begun to double up on my daily intake for baby and me. I look forward to speaking to you again in the future. All the best, Candice.
Hi Vin,
Before read this web I bought Pina Colada Fish Oil Smothie for my 10 years old daughter in Vitamin Shoppe. It has per 2 tsp EPA 288, DHA 432 and other omegas 3 180. I am giving her only 1 tsp. The flavor is really good. I think It is a good option for kids and even adults. The cost was $ 20 dollars and last for 94 tsp.
I would like you check the product and comment about it.
Thks.
Hi Leda – this is fine. You’re getting adequate amounts of Omea-3 with 1 teaspoon. I would prefer fewer additives and processing aids.
Hi Vin,
Wow, thanks so much for all your wonderful and expertise advice!
I would love to give my child Omega 3 to help with his Tourette’s but he seems to be allergic to fish oil. His tics would go crazy. Do you have any suggestion what I can give him as a substitute?
Thanks so much!
Hi Ann – give Omega-3 eggs a try. Does he eat wild salmon? Other wild fish? May be even flaxseed oil? If he is old enough to take pills, get some algae-based DHA oil. Keep trying foods that contain Omega-3 naturally…not Omega-3 fortified orange juice, but things like eggs and fish.
Hi Vin, Nice writeup. I have been reading about Omega- 3 , DHA and EPA off late, with regards to my 7 year old son’s least interest in studies and concentration span being a problem. He has been also showing some behavioral issues and doesnt eat food well. I live in India. All these products that you reviewed seem to be available outside of India. Will you be able to suggest any good supplement for my 7 year old son which is available in India?
Hi Trupti – you may not be able to buy all these supplements where you are, but you are (or should be) in charge of what your child eats. Eliminate all sugar, soft drinks, juice and process/packaged foods for a month. Instead, make sure he only eats, vegetables, fruits, eggs, meats, seafood, nuts – things that he is not allergic to. This ought to improve things so you don’t need any supplements.
Hi Vin,
I need some advices on selecting a DHA for my 10 months old daughter. I have read many articles saying to avoid buying a DHA that is made by big fish since it contains mercury. I am currently considering the Nordic Natural baby DHA Vegetarian but not sure it is as good as the DHA that is made by fish. I would appreciate for your thoughts and suggestions.
https://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Products/Product_Details/514/?ProdID=1672
Thanks,
Hi Jonathan C – get it! Get it now! Any DHA you can cram into your kids in the first 2-3 years will pay dividends for the rest of their lives. BTW, DHA from fish and plants are the same – both are the same molecule.
Just came across your article as I am searching if we should give our just turned 1 yr old DHA fortified organic milk. She has been eating organic egg yolks since she was 9 months and I have made most of her baby food but don’t cook a lot of fish…we are now switching from Earths Best Formula, (she is adopted and we proudly gave donor breast milk for her first 6 months ) but now switching to 2% cows milk. I was looking to use Horizon Organic with DHA. Any advice…thanks!
Hi Becky – go with full-fat, grass-fed, organic milk. We gave our kids these, depending on what was available:
http://www.organicvalley.coop/products/milk/grassmilk/
http://www.organicvalley.coop/products/milk/omega-3-milk/
http://www.organicvalley.coop/products/milk/whole/
I’d even occasionally mix some heavy cream to their milk. Kids’ bodies need fat! In case you think I’m nuts, remember this fact: human breast milk is close to 60% fat by calories.
DO NOT go with low-fat or 2%-fat milk. Horizon Organic is OK but I was not able to confirm if their cows are grazed on grass. Grass-fed is better.
My son drinks raw milk. He’s been drinking it for 2yrs now (he has Autism) and started talking 9 days after starting it. Most states will allow you to get Cow Shares to get milk.
Hi Vin,
I have just picked up the Nordic Natural Baby DHA vegetarian last week. I have been giving my 10 months old baby everyday. How long should I stick with the Baby DHA before switching to the children DHA? What is your recommendation for the next stage of DHA?
Thanks,
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan – good decision. Kids’ nutrition during the first three years will affect several health traits throughout their lives – epigenetics.
You should be fine with Baby DHA for at least a couple of years. Once your baby is 2 or 3, then you can try one of the products mentioned in the article above. That is…if you’re not feeding seafood regularly.
Hello,
Thanks so much for this write-up…it’s very helpful. Do you have any experience with these
http://www.renewlife.com/norwegian-gold-kids-dha.html?gclid=COv8kOW5tMACFQxp7AodP0cAfA
my son likes them but I’d love to get your opinion on them
thanks much!
Hi Melissa – it’s 100 mg of DHA per day. I’d have your son take two per day. If he likes it, then you’ve already won! 🙂
What a great source of information! My 10 year old son is extremely ADHD and has been medicated for several years now and it helps him a ton during school. He has a good appetite in the morning so I make sure to give him a good source of protein for breakfast. By lunchtime, it’s hard to get him to eat because of his lack of appetite. By dinner he is starving…! I want to incorporate omega 3 into his diet and he’s great at taking pills….I just bought a bottle of nature’s own and want to be sure to give him enough to be beneficial and help him throughout the day. Are there any other natural remedies I can give him to help with the adhd? And what about foods he should eat that will give him energy throughout the day since he has such a lack of appetite at lunchtime?
Thanks!
Hi Meschelle – you need to try a simple elimination diet on him. Remove all sugar, grains, processed foods, foods with artificial colors and flavors. Stick with meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seafoods, eggs and you can make an exception with grains and give him white rice. Make sure everything is cooked at home with butter or olive oil. Studies have shown that such a diet will dramatically reduce or even eliminate ADHD in more than two-thirds of kids. For most (not all) kids food got them into trouble and only food can get them out. Get Chris Kresser’s Paleo book or Jaminets’ Perfect Health Diet book for more guidance. You might also want to give him magnesium – try Natural Calm.
Hi Vin,
I noticed that my 10 months old daughter has more burping after she started to take the Nordic Natural Baby DHA vegetarian. Is it a normal reaction?
Thanks,
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan – sadly, it probably is. Have you taken the product yourself? Is it fresh? I was unable to find a fresh bottle of Nordic’s Baby DHA…my kids stopped eating what ever foods I added it to. If your product is fresh tasting, then maybe reduce the dosage to half of what the label says.
Hi Vin,
I haven’t tried it myself, so I am not sure is fresh or not. I don’t understand why DHA can cause burping.
Thanks,
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan – the oil from the product ‘floats’ on top of the layer of food/milk in the stomach. So when the baby burps, you notice the fish oil smell more than when the baby burps after just milk.
My daughter doesn’t have a problem taking the Nordic Naturals Child’s Fish Oil liquid so do you recommend I stick with that? She is 21 months old. Do you recommend another brand or anything else?
Thanks
Hi Drew – you’re lucky! One of my kids will take liquid fish oil without complaints. The other one said ‘gaaack!’ and choked herself – it was disheartening and hilarious. So…if it aint broke…keep doing what you’re doing.
I have twin 9 year old boys. One has been diagnosed with ADD. Can I give both boys 3 softgels of the Nature Made Fish Oil Pearls per day OR just the one with ADD? Is that OK to give to my ADD child? What would you recommend for the other child? Thank You!
Hi Robbin – if I help you with Omega-3, will you help me with my twins? 🙂 They’re 4. Please tell me it gets a little easier!
Yes, you can definitely give them 3 pearls a day. This will still only give them less than 600 mg of Omega-3 per day. That’s Ok for their age. I very strongly suggest you start looking into a Paleo type diet. Lots of leafy veggies, some meats, seafood, root vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs. All cooked generously in olive oil or butter. No sugar, grains, no wheat, processed foods, no flour, no artificial colors, no seed oils. It’s not an easy diet, but it is totally worth it.
Also look into Natural Calm magnesium supplement. Get them out in the sun without sunscreen and get a full body tan – nothing like natural vitamin D made by the skin.
Thank You for the response! I don’t think it gets “easier”….. it just gets more FUN! Twins are Awesome!!
The Paleo diet sounds challenging…..but I’ll do my best!
Enjoy your twins! Congrats!!
What’s the magnesium for?
Hi Robbin – magnesium plays a HUGE role in mood and ability to relax. More here: http://www.omegavia.com/magnesium/ and http://www.omegavia.com/supplements-for-depression-anxiety/
Hi there! So happy that I happened upon your blog! I LOVE twins…I have taken care of two sets from preemies until pre-K! They are such precious little gifts ;). My grandangel takes Carlson for Kids Fish Oil, prior to that she took Garden of Life Ocean Kids DHA chewables. I was surprised that neither of those high quality (IMO) supplements made your list. When the Carlson’s is gone…I’d like to start her on Garden of Life Olde World Icelandic Cod Liver Oil (not made for children, will adjust dosage) …I’ve read great things about this product. What are your thoughts on these products and about the switch? Thank you sooo much for your time! Can’t wait to read more of your blog…love it!!!
Hi Ginger – yes, twins are fun but tiring. 🙂 I didn’t include Carlsons for kids or the Garden of Life products on this list because they are just soft gelatin capsules. It’s not because I dont think it is a high quality product, but because it is not a kid-friendly delivery form. These are just flavored oils in smaller pills. A lot of kids simply don’t like the taste of fish oil in their mouth. So I tried to feature products that use technology to hide the oily or fishy nature. Making a pill smaller and putting flavor in it does not, in my opinion, make it kid-friendly. Or rather, not picky-kid-friendly. If your little ones are used to chewables, graduating to flavored liquid oils taken by spoon should be easier. But that’s a hard sell for most kids…or adults for that matter. What I like about Cod liver oil is that it has pre-formed Vitamin A, something most of us are deficient in. If she likes it, you’re in luck.
Hi Vin, this is so useful, thank you so much! My six years old twins (boys) take Sundown Naturals Fish Oil 1000 mg. it says that it naturally contains 300 mg Omega-3. Actually, they won’t take
pills, but I squeeze it out for them and give it to them with the spoon.
You opinion please? This is the only Omega 3 that I can het here where I live. Thank you!!!’
Hi Elma – throw the Sundown pills. They are not meant for squeezing and taking by the spoonful and there is very little Omega-3 in it. You have much, much better options here: http://www.omegavia.com/liquid-fish-oil/ You should be able to get these products from iherb.com here in the US.
What do you think about Omega Brite liquid for 9 year olds?
Hi Robbin – I didn’t think OmegaBrite liquid was still available! It’s worth a try to see if the taste and odor suits your needs. I like their capsule products, but it’s a bit expensive.
What do you think about Natural Vitality Kid’s Natural Calm Multi?
DHA and EPA (from fish oi) 150 mg *
Total Omega-3 (from fish oil) 180 mg *
I give a serving to all of my kids every day but wonder if I should add a fishie to this for the 11 and 13 yo (who won’t swallow pills!!)
Hi Melanie – I don’t like that product for several reasons. 1) it is a lousy multivitamin…most multis have wrong forms of nutrients and if they get the form right, they screw up the quantity. Example: this product uses Beta Carotene as a Vitamin A source. Beta Carotene is NOT Vitamin A. It is a precursor to Vitamin A. Most people’s bodies have to struggle to convert tiny bits of Beta Carotene to Vitamin A. 2) Omega-3 in a dry powder mix is almost always rancid. It will stink if it is not kept frozen. 3) It is missing a lot of key nutrients – like choline, inositol etc.
So, yes, definitely, find an alternative Omega-3 source for your kids. Ideally wild seafood.
Hello, I just want you to know that this post has been extremely helpful! My daughter is very bright, but having difficulty focusing at pre k. It’s her first time ever at school but I want her to do well. I suspect she might have sensory issues and it has a huge impact on her diet. I am buying a supplement right away for her, and from the ones you’ve posted, I think I’ve found one that will work for her. My question is, are there any problems with combining supplements or vitamins? My daughter is very picky, so she does not eat a variety of veggies, and hates meat AND seafood. Her favorite foods would definitely be peanut butter and jam or jelly, white rice, and yogurt. I want to introduce an Omega 3 supplement but I also want her to have a regular multivitamin while her diet improves. Is that alright? And she is also very energetic at school, to the point that I think it interferes with her focusing, so would magnesium help as well? Can I give her all of these and she still be fine?
Hi Caitlin – I have good new and bad news. The good first: you can combine probiotics, magnesium, multivitamins and Omega-3. No problem there. Now for the bad news: you cannot outrun a bad diet with supplement. You just can’t. What you described is not a good diet. Kids eat what they see their parents eating. Sure, they will still have some biases – that’s OK. This needs to be a from the ground up, wipe the pantry clean effort from the parents. If there are more adults in the household, ALL need to buy into the concept of eating better. And by better, I mean getting rid of sugars, sweets, juices, grains, cereals, processed foods, jellies etc. Talk to a Paleo dietitian – they can help you over the phone or skype. People don’t know what to do with Paleo, so I always tell people to eat one-third leafy or green veggies, one-third tubers and root veggies and one-third eggs, liver, meats or seafood. Lots of seafood! All cooked in olive oil, butter, or expeller pressed coconut oil. Do this for a while and you may find that you don’t need supplements.
What’s at the tip of your fork is the most powerful medicine ya got! Ignore that and trouble will soon follow.
Vin- when would you move from DHA/EPA from food for your kids to needing a bit more of a push? I have a 9 and 11 yo and both eat well but curious if you would suggest a fish oil “booster” for them of just let their balanced (read multiple meals with grass fed dairy, meats and sea food) do the trick.
Hi Chris – there is no age when you need to move kids to supplements. This applies to adults too. It all depends on the diet. But it is impossible to imagine a situation where 9 and a 11 yo kids do not eat processed foods with Omega-6. So even if their regular diet contains acceptable levels of Omega-3, if the Omega-6/3 ratio is high (even due to occasional indiscretions and indulgences) then you may need to start giving them some supplements. I hope the choices above give you something to go with. One of my kids has graduated to straight liquid Omega-3 by the spoonful, but the other prefers the candy form…they’ve both been on paleo + dairy since they began eating solid foods. Lately, I’ve been giving them Omega-3 a couple of times a week.
This is SUPER helpful. My issue has been that my 11 year old can not swallow anything larger than a very small pill and all of the Omega’s are so large. I keep searching for the right chew-able that doesn’t make him gag and just ordered the Nordic Naturals Fishies. Sounds like a winner. My concern is that I think he has to take so many to reach the daily dose for his size (he is 5’2 /135 lbs) – he is pretty much teen sized so needs (I think) 500-1000 mg a day – that works out to 3 fishies a day so one box will last 12 days. I may have to keep searching for a better solution.
Hi Kharmalsis – yes, he will need 2-3 per day. But if you make seafood at home regularly, you could reduce your dosage. Or look into flavored liquid Omegas.
Very greatfull for this information, Vin! My son is 2 years old. And I’m in search of source of omega 3 for him. I have been reading a lot recently about fish oil. And I’ve found quite contradictory views of giving fish oil to children. Thus, I want to know your opinion about what I have in my mind. Firstly, is it safe to feed babies/toddlers with cod liver oil as it made of cod’s livers where, as I’ve understood, some harmfull components (mainly mercury have been mentioned) have been accumulated? Secondly, probably you can advise krill oil, which is believed purier than cod’s liver one. And thirdly, is fish oil (made of fish flash) is worth attention? And finally, could you please say the difference between cod liver oil http://www.iherb.com/Nordic-Naturals-Arctic-Cod-Liver-Oil-Orange-Flavor-16-fl-oz-473-ml/4192 and DHA for children/babies http://www.iherb.com/Nordic-Naturals-Children-s-DHA-Strawberry-8-fl-oz-237-ml/8849 ? And which is better for my 2-years-old and for me (adult I mean)? Thank you in advance!
Hi Tanya – first, now is the time to introduce your child to seafood and eating fish. It’s always better to get Omega-3 from food because of all the other nutrients present in seafood. Nothiing wrong with the cod liver oil from Nordic naturals – half a teaspoon once or twice a week should be plenty at his age. The children’s DHA is fine also. Don’t buy krill oil for Omega-3. Krill oil has phospholipids which is good for developing brains…but eating eggs regularly is much better for that than krill oil. You can take the cod liver oil too – a teaspoon a day should be good. Cod liver typically has a little more impurities than regular fish oil but with Nordic, you should get a clean oil.
Thanks a lot! And does the OMEGAVIA have omega3 products for toddlers?
Not yet. 🙂
Vin- I’m still lost a bit with the choice. My search of fish oil were pushed by doctor’s recommendation to give it to my son as a source of vitamin D as well. But I’ve found that in two Bordic Nature products I’ve mentioned above the its amount is quite low. I’ve found two other which are enriched with D/D3. But, this one http://www.iherb.com/Nordic-Naturals-Arctic-D-Cod-Liver-Oil-Lemon-8-fl-oz-237-ml/7050 is confusing me with lemon flavoring additives, as I want as much organic as possible))). I’d prefer this product for babies http://www.iherb.com/Nordic-Naturals-Baby-s-DHA-with-Vitamin-D3-2-fl-oz-60-ml/23058 But I’m not sure whether it suits for toddler (2yo) and what dosage.
Hi Tanya – I think the product with the lemon flavoring is better. My kids would not take the Baby DHA item – it smelled bad. Since you are working with a doctor, please check with him/her for dosage. I would be comfortable with 300 to 500 mg Omega-3 per day. Or one teaspoon every other day or so.
Hello Vin,
As Tanya said in one of the post I am also “grateful” for the information you offer.
I have a 9 year old, diagnosed PDD. He is very bright and mainstreamed. Academically he is solid. However, this year he is having difficulties in school this year concentrating and focusing. I am hoping you can recommend a Omega 3 and whatever else you think may help .
I appreciate your time.
Thank you,
Ab
Hi Susan – thank you. I suggest you go with the Nordic product I recommended above if you’re looking for an Omega-3. But since your son is 9, he may be able to take a small capsule. I suggest this: http://www.amazon.com/Pharma-Grade-InnovixLabs-Concentrated-Burp-Free-Capsules/dp/B00F5ZV6W6/ Also, most of the supplements recommended in this article could help as well to rule out any nutritional causes: http://www.omegavia.com/supplements-for-depression-anxiety/ The supplements may or may not do much.
Having said that I think you’d be better off starting with a different approach to this with a functional or integrative medicine MD work with him. Find someone here: http://primaldocs.com/physician-finder-intro/
Hello,
What diet do you recommend for a 6 yr old that I’m going to put on Nordic Naturals Omega Boost?
Hi LaQueisha – nothing processed or sold in boxes, bottles or cans. This should limit you to veggies, meats, seafood, eggs, and a little bit of fruits. In other words, something that was alive a few days ago.
HI Vin,
I am looking to get the most effective product for the lowest cost, so straight liquid fish oil will work for me that I can give to kids in a tablespoon dose. What do you recommend as the best price and quality DHA I can give to my family?
Hi Alicia – try Carlsons liquid fish oil. For the price, they are pretty good. More here: http://www.omegavia.com/liquid-fish-oil/
Hello Vin,
My 7 year old son is currently being ruled out for ADHD, due to difficulties in school with focusing and concentration. He has been taking Flintstones multivitamin daily for years and recently started him on Barlean’s Kids Omega Swirl. From reading from the other posts, you have also recommended a magnesium supplement…Natural Calm. Can you tell me what would be a safe dose for a 7 year old, about 45 pounds? Can you also recommend a better multivitamin besides Flintstone multivitamin?
Thank you in advance.
~ Meth Magbuhos
Hi Meth – bad news first: chances are that supplement alone will not help. Good news: your chances of a more significant improvement increases if you combine a drastic change in diet + supplements. If he needs medications, use them until you’ve figured out what’s going on with the diet. Your son needs to be eating nothing but vegetables, seafood, meats, eggs, fruits, and nuts, assuming he is not allergic any of those things. Everything he eats should have been alive a few days ago. Notice absence of sugar, cereals, grains, and dairy.
Go with 200 mg of Magnesium. Flintstones is better than nothing, but I can’t think of one single good multivitamin for kids. If you really want to keep your kids healthy, start feeding them egg yolks and liver – these are nature’s multivitamins. And let them play outside in the dirt without sunscreen or covering up too much.
HI Vin,
I have a 23month old ( almost 2 year old) and I have started giving him a teaspoon of the Carlson Fish oil Liquid Omega-3 Lemon, 200ml : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LF39RE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Is this safe to give to my son? Please advise.
Hi Vidya – that’s a bit much for a 2 year old. A teaspoon twice a week is fine. Or try half teaspoon every other day.
Thank you so much. Please do confirm if this is a kid friendly product or not. I not, please give me a good alternative from the above. I need something which gives my son both EPA and DHA.
Hi Vidya – it’s fine for kids. Just manage the dosage. With liquid fish oils, it is easy to take more than you need.
out of the topic, because i do not know where i should ask this, but I’m a adult and have really high triglyceride 650+ so am drinking med and omega 3 right now. My question is, the omega 3 is too big to shallow for me and I can open drink it if i cut it open and drink it with water.
its still have the same effect and its ok to do that? opening the pill like that?
thank
Hi Ken – don’t do that! Just get a liquid fish oil product. There are lots of articles on this site about reducing triglycerides and liquid fish oil. Use the search box at the top of the page. Get 3000 mg of Omega-3 per day and reduce sugar and grain consumption dramatically.
grain consumption dramatically? u mean eat less grain? i only eat vegetable and chicken breast for lunch n dinner now.
and i will try the liquid fish oil.
thank
Hi Ken – yes dramatically, as in zero. That’d be ideal. But if you can’t go to zero, as little as possible. Your lunch and dinner appear harmless at first glance. But the absence of healthy traditional fats is dangerous – you will run out of fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients that travel with fats. Too much fat is not what got you here – too much sugar and refined starch did.
Hi Vin, so what should I eat? I’m asian and all my life i been eating white rice, I been trying to eat brown rice instead and only little amount of it. But if you say I can’t eat just vegetable and chicken, then what should I add in it? like fruit or a little rice or other? any suggestion ? please
Also, I buying the Carlson Labs “Very finest fish oil orange flavor” 200 ml bottle with 1,600 omega fat acid, its on your review articles, as you say earlier I should drink 3 to 4 gram per day, so that like 2 teaspoon of the fish oil?
please help,
Thank You
Hi Ken – look into a high veggie Paleo type diet. Ideally, you plate should be one-third green leafy veggies, one-third root veggies and one-third meat. But if you’re trying to reduce triglyceride, I’d skip or reduce the root veggies. There is a TON of information on why and how to adopt a high-veggie paleo diet. There is a good book called The Perfect Health Diet by the Jaminets. Buy it. Yes, two teaspoons ought to do.
Hi,
we are interested in starting my son on Omega 3 to see if it helps his focus at school. Our pediatrician recommened we start at 500mg and can go up to 1000mg (he’s 63 lbs). She also recommened that the Omega 3 have more EPA than DHA. Can you recommend a brand that has this? Does it matter how much EPA or is the ratio more important? It seems these numbers vary widely from brand to brand…the highest I’ve seen is the Omega Brite liquid.
Thanks
Hi Heather – you could try the Nordic Natural product that I’ve picked as my favorite – above. Two of those ought to take care of his daily Omega needs. ‘Focus at school’ immediately rings all sorts of alarms in my head. Omega-3 alone is unlikely to fix this. You MUST go back to basics – eating the right kinds of foods (eggs, seafood, veggies, grass-fed meats) and avoiding the wrong kinds of foods (virtually everything that kids eat – anything made with wheat, flour, processed foods, sodas, juices, pizza, pasta, cereals, skim milk, artificial colors/flavors, any product that is advertised or sold in a bag or box with UPC code). Go back to home-cooked real foods. Lots of egg yolks for choline. Find a way to introduce liver into his diet. I know, not easy. But it’s nature’s multivitamin. And of course, lots of physical activity and exercise. Omega-3 is very important, but wont fix the problem by itself.
Hi vin, I wanted to ask you what advise will you give me for my 8 year old son, what vitamin would you remende me since he is having hard time at school, I just hoped I have seen this article before I purchased the Bioglan for kids berry flavor,I dont know if they are right for my son, please let me know.
Thank you so much for you advisement and have a wonderful day!
Hi Lorena – The Bioglan Kids Smart Hi DHA is OK. If you have it, and your kid is OK with taking 2 per day, go ahead and finish the bottle. And if you can’t find anything he likes better, keep with the same product.
Generally, I am not a fan of ANY kids’ multivitamins on the market. Although I think they could probably all benefit from a magnesium supplement like Natural Calm. I usually don’t talk about sleep for kids, but I think in addition to nutrition, 9 to 10 hours of solid sleep in a dark room, with a very strict sleep schedule even on the weekends helps a lot. Cut back on TV/iPad and all other screen time after dark. Lots of physical exercise. Make sure you’re really cutting back on sugar, soda, juices and processed foods. Make sure you are giving him at least one egg yolk per day, assuming he has no allergies to eggs.
I live in Canada and a reputable brand named Progressive makes a flavoured fish oil for kids called “Ultimate Fish Oil for Kids”.
Have you ever tested this one in terms of the proper amount of Omega-3 and DHA and EPA. Is there a way for me to determine that on my own?
https://progressivenutritional.com/ultimate-fish-oil-for-kids-liquid
Hi Tamara – if you child is OK with consuming liquid fish oil, well, then that’s fantastic. There are a whole bunch of choices. Any of the liquid items from Nordic Naturals or if you want Canadian brands, look into NutraSea or Sea-Licious made by my friend Karlene Karst.
The specific product you mentioned seems OK – it’s high DHA, so it’s mostly Tuna oil. It’s rates OK on IFOS tests but really, it all comes down to taste and smell. You can’t judge a liquid fish oil on paper. It needs to be tried. I’d aim for half teaspoon a day or every other day.
Hi Vin,
Nice article. Thank you.
I need your advise. I give my son (12 yrs) & daughter (7 yrs) two Omega 3 soft gels a day (Omega 3 for kids from Webber Naturals – 100 mg EPA & 50 mg DHA per softgel). In addition I give supradyn multivitamin on alternate days to my son.
Is the dosage of omega 3 & multivit ok for my children ?
I (43 yrs, prediabetic) take one Puritan’s Pride Super Omega 3 (1000 mg fish oil with EPA-380 mg, DHA-220 mg per capsule) on alternate days (tried one every day but was having burning sensation while passing stool). Is this dose ok for me? Also should we keep it refrigerated or is it ok leave in room temp?
Other brands available here are omega 3 from NOW foods & L’il Critters omega 3.
Hi Abdul – avoid Lil Critters Omega-3 for kids…see article above for my reasoning. Your kids’ dosage seems fine. Your dosage seems low. OK to keep at room temp. Since you’re prediabetic, cut back on sugar, starch and grains. Eliminate wheat and anything made with flour.
Hi Vin,
Some more doubts. How long children/adults can take omega 3 supplements. Should we give a break after every 3 months & start taking again? Also I read some articles where it is mentioned that omega 3 supplements may cause cancer if taken for long periods. Is there any truth in it.
Hi Abdul – if you’re taking the right dosage, there is no need to take a break. If you get Omega-3 from seafood, you may be able to take a longer break from supplementing. Remember that Omega-3 are essential like oxygen. Unlike oxygen, Omega-3 can be stored in the body for short periods of time. It won’t cause cancer any more than oxygen does.
Hi Vin. I have been doing some research on omega products with DHA for my son. He is 6 years old and is having a difficult time with reading. He is getting extra supports at school at this time and I am working with him a lot at home. He is making some progress but is still not on grade level. He does not have a great diet and I was thinking maybe we should start some supplements as well as a regular everyday vitamin. Before looking into all the possibilities I purchased Yummi Bears by Hero Omega 3 + DHA supplements. Have you had the opportunity to investigate this supplement? I am just looking for the best that will help him and one that I can get him to actually take! I would appreciate your input on which is the best brain supplement for him. As well as overall daily vitamin if you could. I should add he is 65 pounds and in good health otherwise. No allergies. No concerns. No medical conditions. Thank you so much for your time!!
Hi Jaclyn – if his diet is not great, then that is where you need to start. For now, start with eliminating sugar, juices, cereals and candy. No amount/type of supplement will make up for the harm done by these ‘foods.’ Then add eggs and salmon to his diet. Veggies too. It’s impossible to outrun a poor diet with supplements. Especially supplements for kids, because most kids’ supplements are incomplete, inadequate and sugary. Yummi Bears gummy falls in that category. Try one of the Nordic products or the Barleans liquid smoothie type products. I don’t know if those products will fix the reading issue, but will certainly make him a little healthier.
I should add the specifics of the supplement I mentioned: Yummi Bears Omega 3 + DHA Serving size 3 gummies Fish Oil (Tuna) 340 mg, DHA 75 mg, EPA 15 mg, other Omega 3 Fatty Acids 15mg, Total Omgea 3 Fatty Acids 105 mg. Ingredients: glucose syrup, natural cane sugar, gelatin, citric acid, lactic acid, natural flavors (strawberry-banana, lemon, orange, and natural colors (black carrot juice concentrate, turmeric, annatto). Fractionated Coconut oil and beeswax to prevent sticking. Thanks so much! I am overwhelmed by the reviews and amount of products out there and can really use some guidance!!
Hi Vin, I was at a conference where it was discussed the benefits of the TG form of Omega 3 vs the EE form. Can you tell me which one of the Omega 3 supplements for kids are triglyceride? Thanks
Daniela
Hi Daniela – the nordic naturals products are in the triglyceride form. Having said that, our company makes products in both the triglyceride and ethyl ester forms. The only time triglyceride is superior is if you take it for a very short duration and if you take it on an empty stomach. If your plan is to consume Omega-3 in the long-term and with meals, there is very little difference. Any other superiority claims of triglyceride forms are self-serving marketing messages from companies that sell only triglyceride forms and the scientists funded by these companies. I’ve written extensively about the subject here:
http://www.omegavia.com/fish-oil-ethyl-ester-vs-triglyceride-revisited/
http://www.omegavia.com/ee-fish-oil-vs-tg-fish-oil/
http://www.omegavia.com/ee-fish-oil-vs-tg-fish-oil-2/
In my search for the best Omega supplements for my six year old ADHD son I’ve run across several of your recommendations. My son is currently on Innate Choice’s Omega Sufficiency. I have not seen read your thoughts on this particular brand. This was recommended by his chiropractor. We are also on amino acid therapy with the Neuroreplete and Cysreplete, in addition to his 40 mg of Vyvanse. We have been on the amino acid therapy for over 7 months. Initially I saw a positive change. With the addition of the Omegas I’ve seen no change. I was wondering if we are possibly under-supplementing. My searches revealed we should be on a 3:1 ratio of EPA to DHA and about 200-250 mg/day. Is that accurate? To mellow his moodiness should he also take the Natural Calm? If so in what dose.
I know you would suggest the Paleo Diet, but with divorced parents that didn’t give us any consistency. I appreciate your help.
My son takes the liquid version, without complaining. Here’s a link to the label. http://www.innatechoice.com/userfiles/label/Omega_Sufficiency_Lemon_500ml_USA.pdf
Hi Julie – you know me well enough to guess that I would suggest a paleo diet. You’re absolutely right. With ADHD, I think diet is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than supplements. You just cannot outrun ADHD with supplements. There probably is a genetic or environmental component to this, but the impact of diet and lifestyle is HUGE. What you do not eat is as important as what you do. And, yes, paleo is absolutely the best way to go. It is fine if the child is at the non-paleo parent’s household a few days of the week. You can make up for it at the more nutritious household. Divorce, as painful as it is, is not an excuse for not eating well. A teaspoon of the innate choice stuff is fine – nothing special about the product. If you’re doing fine with liquid, try Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega liquid. Sometime in 2015/16, we will introduce a flavored liquid fish oil that is about 3X as potent as the Innate choice product. But it’s not ready yet. Yes, natural calm can help. But you HAVE TO get back to a whole foods only diet with no sugar, grains, vegetable seed oils, colors etc. It is very, very hard to supplement your way out of this.
Your comment on gummy bear suppliments got me concerned. My 2 year old
is allergic to dairy and eggs and he hates almond and soy milk. I
somehow give him a glass of almond milk every day but thats not
sufficient and so I give him Calcium gummy bears to suppliment the
calcium intake ( apart from giving him kale, brocolli which adds to
the calcium intake).
Am i doing something wrong by giving him the sugary calcium gummy
bears? Is there a better alternative. Please advise.
Hi Vidya – calcium gummy bears contain sugar. And not enough calcium to make up for it. Having said that, I am very nervous about taking calcium supplements in the absence of Vitamins D and K2. Without these two fat-soluble vitamins, the body doesn’t quite know what to do with calcium. So after decades of doing this, you’re likely to end up with calcium deposits in arteries (atherosclerosis), kidneys (kidney stones) and heels (heel spurs) etc. This is what happens when you rely too much on calcium supplements and not enough on whole foods. It’s OK if a 2 year old stops drinking milk – it may be a blessing in disguise. Almond and soy milk isnt exactly high in calcium (what’s there is usually fortified anyway)…just because they are called ‘milk’ does not make it equal to dairy in calcium. I suggest eating a lot of fish, preferably cooked with the bones, spinach, greens, beans, bok choy, almonds…all of these foods have more calcium than milk. Start looking into a paleo type ancestral diet.
Hi Vin,
So, I just started my 11 year old on
–3 caps/day Pharma Grade Omega 3 mini’s by InnovixLabs
–2 caps/day NKO 500mg caps by Source Naturals, and
–2 caps/day Phosphatidylserine by Country Life called “SharpThought”
I’m concerned that I am over doing the Omega 3’s. But from what I have read, I really want to give him the benefits of both forms. Can you give me any suggestions or thoughts?
I am also trying to implement a more protein based diet for him. Working on his diet on many levels. He is non diagnosed ADHD, but may have him tested soon.
Thanks for your time.
Denise
Hi Denise – you’re not overdosing on the Omegas at all. Since krill oil is basically a phospholipid supplement (and not a Omega-3 supplement, due to such low Omega-3 levels), you are redundant on the phosphatidylserine. You can drop one of them. You don’t have to go protein based – just cut out the sugar, flour, cereals and anything processed for now. It’s perfectly fine to high-carb foods like fruits, potato, carrots…basically roots and fruits should be carb sources, not grains.
Thanks Vin,
Do you happen to know how much Phosphatidylserine is in each capsule of the Krill Oil? I can’t find info about that anywhere I have looked. And is the redundancy harmful? There are a few studies about Phosphatidylserine and ADHD that were enough to make me want to try it as a supplement.
Also, should I bump up his Omega 3? What would be his upper limit if we are targeting attention?
Thanks,
Denise
Hi Denise – you will have to call the manufacturer about the phospholipid content of the krill oil pills. There is no harm in the redundancy. I don’t think you need to bump up the Omegas. There are no defined upper limits for Omegas, but FDA says 3000 mg but they are a few decades behind on science. EFSA (European authority) says it is 5000 mg. You are no where near there.
Hi,
Very interesting subject that concerns most parents.i have a 5 year old daughter that is daignosed with speech delay.omega 3 is recomended for kids with her problem.i just read your reviews and the ones(nordic naturals fishies) i felt you recommend the most contain gelatin which is not an option for me…and the ones with no gelatin of the same trademark you didnt seem to likely recommend.please can you recommend one with no gelatin included…thanks in advance
Hi Hajar – if gelatin is a problem, try one of the liquid Omega products. Or the real thing – eating fish!
Hi again,i just found this omega 3 supplement in a liquid form from TReeHouse.it includes 245 mg omega 3 fatty acid,45 mg Epa,200 Dha.my question is this enough for my 5 year old daughter ?and 1 year old daughter because as i can remember you said the EPA is what counts for kids after 1 year old more than the DHA???thanks in advance.
Hi Hajar – yes, it is fine.
Is Cod Liver oil a good source for Omega-3? And do know the name of the Omega -3 that was used in the Oxford Durham Trials?
Hi Vonne – cod liver oil is a fair source of Omega-3. You’d need a teaspoon a day to make a difference. If you use pill forms, you’re unlikely to get enough Omega-3.
Oxford Durham used Equazen.
What do you think about the Nordic Naturals Omega-3 gummy fish tangerines treats?
Hi Jenn – it’s a good product.
Hi Vin-
I’m looking into what omega 3 would be best to give my 2 year old son. He is speech delayed and is a very picky eater! I would more than likely have to hide it in yogurt or his milk. He refuses to eat anything gummy. What would you recommend and what would the dosage be?
Thank you!
Hi Kim – hide as much of the Barleans swirls stuff into his yogurt as possible. Switch him (starting with you!) to a high-veggies paleo diet.
Hi Vin, I wanted to know what do you think of the Extra Virgin Cod Liver oil from EVCLO.COM? How does it compare with Omegavia?
Hi Dee – I am not a big fan of Cod liver oil. See these articles:
http://www.omegavia.com/cod-liver-oil/
http://www.omega3innovations.com/blog/is-fermented-cod-liver-oil-good-for-you/
Thank you Vin. I almost ordered the very expensive cod liver oil from EVCLO.com.
First of all i would like to thank you for your assistance in this matter, you are helping people and do a lot good things. I am from Georgia not usa, but former soviet union, i have two sons, one 5 years and 6 years. the doctor is suggesting ADHD, kindly please recommend me which one omega 3 is the best for my sons and what recommendations would you give me in addition?
regards
sophie
Hi Sophie – given your location, if I were you, I would purchase any available Omega-3. Don’t worry about brands because what I recommend may not be available to you. I strongly suggest that you move away from a ‘modern’ diet to something more traditional. Vegetables, meats, eggs, seafood, fruits and nuts. No sugar and no processed foods. I suspect the diet change will help more than just taking the Omega-3. Omega-3 may be a contributing factor, but it alone will not fix the problem.
I noticed that 2 of your supplement suggestions contain sodium benzoate a cancer causing
chemical?
Not a good thing!!!
Hi Debra – just to be clear, this is a review, not a list of recommendations. At the bottom of the article, I suggest ways to get Omega-3 into your kids without supplements, in the ‘What I give my kids’ section. Of the products listed here, I like Nordic Omega-3 Fishies the best.
I am not a fan of sodium or potassium benzoate. It’s role in cancer is still being debated, but if you can avoid it, you should. It has been linked to hyperactivity in kids, but my guess is that any thing that contains sodium benzoate is likely to have sugar and other junk that is indicative of generally poor diet and lifestyles, which are both more likely to cause hyperactivity.
My son is 3Yrs and 2 months now. He is active boy. Should i feed him Omega 3 products ? What products should I choose. Kindly advise me.
Thanks !!
Hi Myat – do you feed your son fish on a regular basis (2 or 3 times a week)? Does he eat at least 4 or 5 egg yolks per week? If so, you probably don’t need to feed him any additional Omega-3. If not, you may want to consider a supplement from the list above.
Hi there,
I am currently looking for a DHA for my 16 months old daughter. Which DHA do you recommend? I have just bought the NutreaSeaKids from the store yesterday. Is it a good product?
https://www.ascentahealth.com/product-info/nutrasea/nutrasea-kids/
Thanks,
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan – yes, it is a good product. You could also try the Nordic fishies if you think she will take small bits of it – there is some risk with solid gummy type products, but you need to decide. Otherwise, include seafood and eggs into her diet.
How much of a NUTRASEA kids can i give my 15 months and 3 1/2 years old kids. My son experiencing delays so i want to start as soon as possible. Thank you so much
Hi Yenisey – please follow bottle instructions or call them directly to get an answer from them too.
Generally, for a 3 1/2 year old, 100-300 mg of Omega-3 should be fine. If the diet is bad, then possibly a little higher. May be half that much for a 15 month old.
Hi There
I have recently been informed of the health benefits of Omega 3 and would like to try introducing it into my 11 year old diet. She has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis about 2 years ago and is on 17.5mg of methotrexate (subcutaneous) weekly. She is still active with her joints and also suffers with psoriasis. She is not great with pill swallowing but does take a 1 mg folic acid pill daily. I have recently purchased the Nordic Omega 3 gummies but not sure if the dosage will be enough of a health benefit. Can you make a suggestion and have you seen a health benefit with omega and juvenile arthritis?
Hi Jen – before I give you any dosage information, I feel very strongly that she needs a very dramatic change in diet. That will help more than anything. I VERY STRONGLY suggest you get this book: http://www.amazon.com/Autoimmune-Solution-Spectrum-Inflammatory-Symptoms/dp/0062347470/ Nothing will help more than diet. Then, you need to work with a professional who understands how chronic low-grade inflammation works and begin the several steps required to address that. When you mentioned psoriasis, to me, it suggests you need to begin addressing inflammation. You will need professional help. I am not that person, but you should be able to find someone nearby.
OK now, I think you should get her a liquid Omega-3 and give her 2000 mg of Omega-3 per day. This is a bit high for a 11 year old, but do it for a couple of weeks or a month and see if there is any improvement. Toss the gummies – it’s too late for that. You need concentrated liquid fish oil. Also, in the meantime, stop all the sugar, processed foods, grains and wheat. Research ‘paleo autoimmune protocol’ – there is a LOT of information out there that you will need to digest.
Vin – If my 10 and 12yo sons can swallow your larger pills (Omega Via 780 epa 260 dha) would this epa/dha be too much of either or both for a daily dose? Note they are taking Nordic’s now with no issues and primarily for general health/omega 3 to 6 ratios/neuronal supplementation vs having any disorders. Reason for my asking is I would like to begin to consolidate the bottles/mfr’s and thought to ask before assuming anything.
Hi Chris – one pill a day gives them between 1100 and 1200 mg of Omega-3. This is not too much. If you were giving them liquid fish oil with a teaspoon, you’d easily exceed this amount. If swallowing is not a problem, then I don’t see issues with it. But you could always give them the weekends off. I do that sometimes, when I feel like I am pushing it on dosage.
Hi,
I really appreciate your advice. My son is 8 years old and 70 pounds. He has a hard time focusing at school and also has asthma. How much mg of EPA per day and how much mg of DHA per day do your recommend? Also any other supplements that you would recommend? Thank you again. Much appreciated.
Hi Laurie – aim for 500 to 1000 mg of Omega-3 per day. Pick a brand that has mostly EPA or more EPA than DHA. No need to worry about exact milligrams. What I should have said first was that you CANNOT outrun attention/focus/mood health issues and inflammation issue like asthma with supplements. There may be a genetic predisposition to it, but it is almost always diet/lifestyle/antibiotic overuse type issues that cause the problem to elevate. So start with eliminating inflammatory foods like sugar, grains, processed foods, juices etc. Look into a high-veggie paleo type diet. On top of that, add the Omega-3. Look into magnesium as well. Natural Calm is a good option.
Hi my question is I have a 151/2 year old son can he take the omax3 fish oil and how many pills should he take a day
Hi Brenda – yes, he can. He should take at least one a day, but I have no idea what his background diet/health is…so this is a question for his doctor.
My 15 1/2 now suffers with depression is there any other thing to add to the Omax3 like DHA and EPA
Hi Brenda – get your child to a doctor. Preferably an integrative MD. You will need to drastically change diet, sleep and activity. Your doctor may prescribe an anti-depressant while you’re working on diet and lifestyle issues. In the meantime you may want to look at this as well: http://www.omegavia.com/supplements-for-depression-anxiety/ magnesium and Vitamin D are a good idea.
Vin,
Love your site, good honest advice.
I have a 13 yr old ADHD son who I want to start on the Paleo diet. I understand the no sugars but my question is… What are your thoughts on agave. I have been using it instead of other sweeteners for him.
Thank you,
Michele
Hi Michele – agave is sugar. Evaporated cane juice is sugar. Florida crystals is sugar. Lots of different ways to sugar-coat the word sugar. If jumping into the deep end of the paleo pool looks daunting, start small.
Week 1: toss out sodas and juices – replace with water
Week 2: start spending half our a day walking/hiking/playing/goofing off in the bright sun – shirts off in the summer
Week 3: re-set circadian rhythm – no screen time 2 hours before bed. And bed time does not get moved back.
Week 4: toss out all breakfast cereals and replace with eggs, fruits, nuts etc. (real food that was alive a few days ago and didn’t come in boxes)
Week 5: nothing
Week 6: toss out all junk food
Week 7: deal with week 6 fall out
Week 8: introduce salmon night
It took you a long time to get here. It will take you a while to dig out. 13 year olds will eat crap at school. You’ll have to make up for it at home. You’ll have to embrace the changes too…not just your kid.
Mr. Kutty,
Any thoughts on Equazen Eye Q capsules? 6/day. My son is 11.
Thank you
Denise
Hi Denise – it’s a good product.
Hi,
I am writing from Bosnia and apologize in advance if my English is no good.
My son will be 7 years old in July and has adhd.
We have ordered for him Carlson lab cod liver oil which says that 1/2 teaspoon may be taken once or twice per day. I believe he would benefit more if takes twice per day, but I am worried if that would be too much vitamine A for him.
What do you recommend? Once or twice 1/2 teaspoon per day?
Many thanks in advance.
Hi Sejla – it is very difficult to overdose on Vitamin A if it is taken with Vitamin D or vice versa. Most instances of A or D overdoses happens when one is taken in the absence of the other. Most people are Vitamin A deficient, so your concern about Vitamin A is counterproductive or even dangerous. Give him enough 2000 mg of Omega-3 per day with food. Once a day or twice does not matter. Fix his diet – once you do this, you can lower the dosage to 1000 mg. Get rid of sugar, cereal, grains and processed foods.
Hi Vin,
I have a 8 year old and a 5 year old. I am giving them Iron kids Omega 3 gummies, which as you said have little Omega3 and lots of sugar. I am thinking to replace it with Kirkland Signature™ Super Concentrate Omega – 3. Each pill contains a combination of EPA 420 mg, DHA 280 . I am thinking to break it open and ad it to their smoothies or salad, using 1/2 of pill for each. This would give me 350 mg combined EPA and DHA. Is that too much for them ? Also, looking at the label, the oil used in the pills is from a oil blend. I am not sure if that is OK.
Please let me know what do you think.
All the best,
Kleita
From MEG-3® brand fish oil concentrate
Hi Kleita – no, no, no! Don’t do that! Buy a liquid fish oil. And try to get them to take that in some way. Try the Coromega or barleans or any of the other options. Your 8 year old may be able to take some small pills, but probably not the 5 year old.
recently purchased Carlson Norwegian Cod Liver Oil along with a powder vitamin/mineral formula.
The CLO has 850IU OF VITAMIN A per teaspoon and the vit/min formula has 5500IU per teaspoon. Could you give me an idea of a safe dosage of each for a 43pound, four year old boy?
Hi Nikki – the Vitamin A in the cod liver oil is barely a sprinkle. The 5500 IU in the vitamin mix is probably in the beta-carotene form, which is not really vitamin A – it need to be converted to Vit A…it’s not very well converted to Vitamin A. So there is still a small chance that your child is not getting enough A.
Hi. Love the article. My son is 8 years old weight 50-ish lbs.
I have a question about giving adult Omega’s to him since he can swallow small pills now. I’m just concerned about the dosage? Id like to try the NatureMade Fish Oil Pearls you mentioned in your article. Would the adult dosage (3 Pills) be too much for him / do I need to adjust the dosage?
We love the childrens gummy & chewables but they are so pricey.
Thank You
Hi Leah – the NatureMade Pearls should work fine. Aim for 300-500 mg of Omegas per day.
My 18 month old sucks down the Nordic Baby DHA with no problems, he takes 3ml per day, 1 ml with every meal. So- every kid is different!
Thanks for this article. It’s been helpful in sorting through the many childrens products out there!
As an aside- we just started raising our own chickens- I think I’ll be planting clover and alfalfa in their run to boost their Omega-3 intake, making their eggs even more valuable!
Excellent, Robin! Wish more people did this.
Hi Vin,
Thanks for the great info on omega 3. My question is regarding max dosage of DHA. My son is 8 and 75 pounds. He has PDD/NOS, ADHD and aggression. I want to try a high dose of DHA to see if this helps with his aggression. What is the max dose I should give him? He is fine with swallowing pills. Thanks!!
Hi Eva – I think you’d be better off with a blend of EPA and DHA or even higher EPA than DHA. 500 mg per day should be an appropriate daily dose but you could go up to 1000 mg per day. I don’t think ‘max dosing’ is a good idea. Instead, I’d think about switching out Omega-6-rich seed oil with oils like olive, butter, or coconut for use in cooking. Reducing Omega-6 often has the same effect as increasing Omega-3 dose and it is better for health. I’d also look into dramatically reducing sugar and refined grain consumption. Look into an anti-inflammatory diet like Zone or Paleo and work with a professional to get gut healed.
Hi, my son is almost 3.5 years and has attention, focus, irritability, mood problem. He has mild autistic symptoms. He is on a GFCF diet that is helping somehow. I am giving him 2 omegabrite gel caps (epa/dha ratio is 7:1) plus vit e, b6, c, magnesium (water Oz), and zinc. Am I overdosing him on omega 3?
Hi Lauren – two OmegaBrite pills are a bit much for a 3.5 year old. One ought to do. Gluten-free is a wonderful idea for kids with these issues – but often,that still does not ensure a nutrient-dense diet. Most products labeled ‘Gluten-free’ are processed junk. Focus on diet – lots of eggs, seafood, liver, veggies, fruits, root vegetables…basically stuff that was alive a few days ago.
Or should I give more dha than epa because of his age range?
Hi Lauren – you need a lot of DHA during pregnancy and during the first couple of years of live. At 3.5 years, regular DHA dosage is fine.
Can i give my 3.5 years old half tsp of fermented cod liver oil (blue ice brand) for dha? Also, I have a normally developing 2 years old. I give this one half tsp of cod liver oil too. will this provide enough dha for the little one? But has vitamin a&d as well. Should I just buy fish oil supplement instead? I don’t wanna overdo the a and d vitamin in cod liver though.
Hi Lauren – yes. I’m not a fan of fermented cod liver oil. But the only reason to take this stuff is that it has Vitamins A and D. Kids and adults desperately need both. You will not overdo Vits A and D. It is very hard to overdo A or D when you take them together. If you take lots of D or A without the other, then you may have issues. But if you take A and D together, it is virtually impossible to overdo it with recommended dosages.
There is some Omega-3 in it, but it’s not a rich source of Omegas. If you want to make sure that they get plenty of Omegas, add a teaspoon of regular fish oil with known Omega-3 levels.
Hi,
As of now my 20 month old daughter does not get many omega 3s in her diet. I went to a health food store and an employee recommended giving her the regular Barleens omega mango peach swirl fish oil (1/2 tsp a day). Is this a safe brand and amount to give her? I also saw on the fish oil products that you have listed that Barleens does make a kids fish oil. It does not specify the ages intended for that product. Would you recommend switching to the Barleens kids fish oil or perhaps the Nordic naturals baby’s DHA? If for some reason my daughter decides to start eating more omega 3 foods and I am still giving her a daily fish oil supplement too, can getting too many omega 3s in her diet be harmful for her?
Hi Kelly – No eggs? No full-fat Omega-3 milk? No seafood? I’d start there (diet) first. If your daughter is missing Omega-3 in her diet, I am willing to bet $$ that she’s missing a whole lot of other things as well. Putting her on the Barleans mango swirl (a good idea) will fix one deficiency while not addressing any of the others. Half tsp of that stuff is fine. No need to worry about other Omegas for now. But my point: go back to the primary diet – reduce sugar, grains and processed foods. Focus on fresh veggies, fruits, root veggies, eggs, full fat dairy, seafood, grass-fed meats. Home cooked foods – stuff that was alive a few days ago.
My daughter had a milk protein allergy when she was an infant and the doctors believe that she outgrew it. However, she is lactose and soy intolerant. Therefore she can’t have whole milk. We have tried organic lactose free whole milk but that still upset her belly. She does eat eggs, love all fruit, occasionally has seafood, will not eat leafy greens but I do try to include some in her smoothies. I do leafy greens in moderation as they give her gas. To supplement for the missed omega 3s and dairy that she can’t have I give her hemp milk, hemp seeds, flaxseed, almond milk yogurt, calcium fortified Orange juice. I will try to give her more grass-fed meats. Is there anything else that you can recommend for me to give her since she is missing out on full fat dairy. Thank you.
Hi Kelly – you don’t mention how old she is. It’s OK for infants and toddlers to drink milk, I suppose. But there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON why kids or adults need milk or dairy. You’re probably better off without it. People think they get all their calcium from milk. Not so. we’re supposed to get it from veggies and meat and seafood cooked with bone in. I see no reason at all to compensate for lack of dairy with seed milks – they have their own issues too. Definitely drop the orange juice and any other kind of juice – that’s just soda with a halo. Go back to basics: veggies, fruits, tubers, seafood, eggs, meats, and nuts. Be generous with fats – if she tolerates grassfed butter, that’s nice because butter has some nutrients like Vitamin A. If she is sensitive to butter, try ghee – this has most of the allergic proteins removed, but still has most of the vitamins.
is it ok if i gave my children, 9 1nd 10 years old an nature made fish oil 1200 mg, 360 mg omega 3,
omega 3 EPA 360 mg
omega 3 DHA 240 mg
omega 3 other 120 mg
Hi Michelle – the pill might be a bit large, but if they can swallow it comfortably, then yes.
Hi my daughter age 5 half soon will be 6 age on august so i look which best for my daughter have hard focus and hard learn and hard write too and little not attention so else she have problem condition Please give me which best pill or gummy ??? I hard look one buy pharmacy like cvs or Walgreen but ask You which name best good help my daughter and match age , weight is 80 because like little fat well let me know thanks
Hi Vivian – definitely no gummy! Too many gummies, candy, sugar, soft drinks, juice, breakfast cereals, McDonalds, pizza etc. is what’s causing the problem.
Go to a whole foods only diet – fresh meats, fresh seafood, lots of fresh veggies, fruits, eggs, and nuts. Eat only foods that were alive a few days ago. Lots of play outside in the sun and in the dirt. Just confirming – is she 80 lbs at 6 years? If so you need to schedule an appointment with a dietitian immediately. Kids eat what you eat and what you give them. So you need to get very informed on nutrition quickly. If she is 80 lbs at 6 years, you have much bigger problems than focus and attention.
This is a diet problem. Soon it will become a medical problem (if not already). Supplements won’t fix it.
Hi,
I came across this natures aid 50 ml DHA drops( 3 mtnhs to 5 yrs old)
https://www.naturesaid.co.uk/products/dha-omega-3-drops-for-infants-and-children/.
Fish Oil
Typically providing:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 500mg
Of which:
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 100mg
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 350 mg
Would you recommend this to a 2 year old?
Thanks.
Hi Mallika – yes.
Hi Vin
I had wanted to purchase Nordic Naturals after reading your reviews here for my 6 yr old, however I did not go ahead with the purchase seeing there’s gelatine in there (unsure of the source – I’m Muslim). Purchased another brand called SmartFish. Comes in sachet form.
This is the link : http://www.smartfish.com.sg/.
Quote from website : “Each sachet of Smartfish contains high amounts of DHA (245mg) and EPA (245mg) to support healthy brain development, heart and eyes.”
My question – are the above amts excessive for my 6 yr old? He has trouble concentrating while studying, reading difficulties and I suspect dyslexia as well.
Hi Nasreen – the amounts above are not excessive.
Check with Nordic about the source of gelatin – it is often bovine or fish.
Vin,
My daughter is 15 years old and 105 lbs. I was searching for EPA supplements for her mood swings and possible depression like symptoms. In this review of omega 3 supplements you did not mention the OmegaVia EPA 500. Is this particular omega 3 supplement appropriate for her age?
Hi Finney – yes, EPA is appropriate for a 15 year old. If there are mood-related health issues, it needs medical attention. They may or may not put her on a prescription medication, but there are MANY dietary and lifestyle changes you can institute to improve mood issues. Start with an anti-inflammatory, whole foods diet that’s free of sugar, processed grains, vegetable seed oils etc. In other words, eat stuff that was alive last week. Nothing packaged. Nothing from a box or a restaurant. Work with a dietitian. Lifestyle wise, walk 5 miles. Preferably during the day. Get lots of sun exposure. And cut off ‘screen time’ after 8 PM. Get 9 hours of sleep. Look at the big picture – EPA might help, but its absence is rarely the cause of the problem. More here: http://www.omegavia.com/supplements-for-depression-anxiety/
Hi Vin,
I am thinking of getting InnovixLabs Pharma- grade Omega 3 and InnovixLabs Advanced Magnesium for my 15 yr old daughter who has some anxiety and mood swing issues. She is seeing a therapist and is doing somewhat better. She was on sertraline for a few months but not any more. We are working on her diet and activities but it is quite a challenge with a teenager! In the mean time, we wanted to know if these supplements might help. I read your article on supplements for depression and anxiety but it seemed to be more for adults. Is Omega3- 500 mg and magnesium- 200 mg of the above mentioned brands appropriate for 15 yr old? Or what are the recommended dosage for her age? She weighs about 100 lbs and prefers pills (not too big) over liquid or powder form. Thank you.
Hi Elisabeth – I get how difficult teenagers can be…but the good thing is that they are almost-adults when it comes to comprehension. So if you explain the diet and lifestyle changes needed, they might get it and go along. Yes, those two products are fine for 15 year olds. Might want to consider adding Curcumin as well, as it is an anti-inflammatory. I’d go with two of the Omega-3 pills and at least 2 (3 is better) of the magnesium. Look for a couple of probiotic products from InnovixLabs soon – both of these can be very helpful. One of them is specifically for mood health.
What do recommend for a 2 year old/30 lbs and a 4 year old/37 lbs.. Both tall kids. Of the omega3 and dha dosage. Thank you 🙂
Hi Kristin – get 200 or 300 mg into them anyway you can. If you use Omega-3 eggs as a delivery form, you’d need at least 2 per day.
Hi Vin,
What do you recommend for a 10 year old boy with ADHD and anxiety. He currently takes Seroquel 25 mg. twice per day for anxiety. Doctor is recommending Metadate CD 10 mg. per day for ADHD symptoms. I really don’t want to put him on any more meds. My pharmacy doesn’t even carry it. We will need to order it. Thanks
Hi Beth – whether you give him the Rx meds is between you and your doctor. I dont want to intervene. However, there are a lot of supplements you can give him, starting with Omega-3, magnesium, multivitamin and Vitamin D. 500 mg Omega-3 from any of the products above. 200 mg magnesium from powdered magnesium citrate or glycinate – blend in with water. Any multi that has zinc and trace minerals. 2000 IU Vit D3 in the winter time. Have him get a LOT of mid-day shirt-off sunshine exposure WITHOUT sunscreen.
But this needs a total diet and lifestyle overhaul. Instead of typing the same thing over and over for all comments I’ve received today, I’m going to be lazy and copy-and-paste what I told the last person who asked for help with mood issues:
“What if I told you:
1) Supplements are not the answer. Food is.
2) Many of the diseases that your family suffers from has a common root cause – inappropriate diet and lifestyle.
Perhaps you’re a bit surprised and not too pleased to hear this. You’ve listed pills that you want guidance with. OmegaVia and our sister company InnovixLabs makes some of them. Will your family be better after taking these pills? May be, may be not. But if you want to truly heal, you need to address the root cause. Start with food and lifestyle. Work in a few supplements AFTER you’ve committed to a 100% change in diet and lifestyle. Without a complete overhaul of diet, supplements will just prop you up briefly…it’s pushing a boulder uphill.
Diet: switch to a whole foods only, ancestral, simple diet. ONLY eat stuff that was alive last week. Lots of fresh veggies, tubers, meats, eggs, seafood, fruits, and nuts. Nothing else. Nothing processed or packaged. Nothing with a UPC code. Nothing with grains or flour. Be generous with olive oil, coconut oil, and grass-fed butter. Learn to love egg yolks and liver. Get rid of all sodas, juices, cereals, wheat, rice, flour, and vegetable seed oils. There is no such thing as healthy whole grains. We’ve all been had by this ‘healthy whole grain’ thing.
Lifestyle: walk several miles during the day, preferably in the sunlight and with people you like talking to. Start a light exercise or yoga program. Your body (especially eyes) need darkness for 8-10 hours. Sleep and darkness is important. And toss your sunglasses during the day. Toss the sunscreen while you’re at it.”
I think there are lessons in here for you too.
Hi Vin,
I have 2 sons. 6 and 11 years old. My 6 year old has asthma due to weather changes or if someone gets sick in his class that leads to him having a minor cold and then leads to asthma symptoms. My 11 year old just got over a bout with gastritis and now has seborrheic dermatitis that came right after the gastritis. I don’t let them drink soda at all, they eat organic non gmo fruits and vegetables and meats. Don’t drink milk. But I do have to work on cutting out some sugars from their diet. Can I give my sons a vitamin D and a fish oil with Omega 3? Or is that too much? What do you recommend? Also, thinking about a multivitamin, but I know they usually have vitmain D in it already, will I be overdosing them? I also want to give them magnesium like Natural Calm or would the magnesium in the multi vitamin be enough?
I appreciate any advice. Thank you.
Hi Jocelyn – you can (and probably should) give your kids Vitamin D and Omega-3. But it is MUCH better to get Vitamin D from full body mid-day direct sun exposure without sunscreen. My kids get their Vit D from the sun during the summer time and from liquid Vit D (2000 IU a few times a week during winter and spring). Omega-3 is also best from seafood, but you can give them 300 to 500 mg of Omega-3 per day. Magnesium powder like Natural Calm is an excellent idea – mix it with water, not juice!
What about Vitamins B6 and B12? Do they help child development (or help their development the same as omega 3? Do you recomend children to take these vitamins?
Hi Rudina – I’d much rather all kids eat eggs, salmon, tuna, turkey, beef etc. for B6 and B12. Cut back on processed foods, soft drinks, cereals and give your kids more vegetables, seafood, and meat.
Hello
I have a kid with 2.8 years old and he has minor level of ADHA and as per my reading on the web that omega 3 will help in his case but my question shall I give him only omega 3 supplements or omega 3 and 6 as most are recommending omega 3
Hi Mohammed – do not give him an Omega3 + 6 blend. Give him just Omega-3. Reducing sugar, soft drinks, sweets, processed foods will do more for you than Omega-3.
I found your information by searching for Omega 3 for children. I have seven children ranging from 15 down to 4 1/2 months old. I currently take and have been taking for many years Salmon Oil Plus Omega 3 by NeoLife Nutritionals. It has 1070 mg of Omega 3 fatty acids: EPA 460 mg, DHA 480 mg, DPA 50 mg, Stearidonic, Elcosatienoic, Elcosatetraenoic, Heneicosapentaenoic, and Alpha-Linolenic Acids 80 mg. I am breastfeeding my 4 1/2 month old…is that enough for the both of us? Secondly, Is this amount good for my 15, 14, and 12 year olds? Thirdly, I was considering the Nordic Naturals Nordic Omega 3 Fishies for my 6, 4, and 2 year olds, however, based on the information you gave it seems that these fishies have more than the recommended dosage for my young ones. Do you have a recommendation that would be good for my younger ones to get in some Omega 3s in addition to our foods?
Thank you for your time.
Hi Leigh – your dosage is OK – you could double up and I think that’d be better. Your current dosage will be fine for the teens. Younger ones will be fine with the Nordic fishies.
Wonderful! Thank you so much for your quick response.
Hi,
Have you ever tested out Usana’s products? I’ve looked at purchasing Biomega Jr. It just seems so expensive. Wondering if it’s worth the cost? I have a 2 year old and an almost 4 year old who struggle with constipation and had read that omegas could act as a preventitave, lubricating the intestinal tract. Any thoughts?
Hi Jody – Usana makes very good products but they are over-priced. They are a network marketing company, so their pricing structure does not allow for inexpensive-but-good products. But if you’re thinking of using Omegas to fix constipation, you’re totally off the mark! Omegas won’t hurt, but won’t do a damn thing for constipation. You need to be thinking of cutting out processed foods and adding back vegetables, tubers, beans, fruits, and nuts into their diet. They need soluble fiber, water and exercise. And probiotics. Get back to real food.
Hello!
I am learning how important Omega 3s are from your information. Thank you. Please advise!
I have a 6 month old. I am about to start her on probiotics and was thinking of adding the Nordic Naturals baby DHA. What product was most successful for your twins to take at that age. She currently nurses and refuses a bottle of any kind so I would have to administer via syringe. Any other supplements I should give her?
I have an almost 2 year old who currently takes probiotics. I was going to add the Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Fishies. What other supplements should I add.
I am a healthy,breastfeeding mother and currently take probiotics and Garden of Life Raw Prenatal Vitamin. Which Omega 3s should I add? I was thinking of the OmegaVia Fish Oil. If so, how much? Also, what other supplements should I be taking.
Thank you so much for your knowledge!
HI Victoria – if you are still nursing your baby, then it is a piece of cake – you can take the Omega-3 and it will automatically get transferred to the baby via the milk. This is how nature and our bodies were meant to operate. I suggest you take 2000 mg of Omega-3 per day. That’s roughly equivalent to two OmegaVia capsules.
Also, I would like to add the 6 month old also takes Baby D drops which contain vitamin D3 400 IU.
Hi Victoria – talk to your pediatrician about this.
Hi,my son is 8,ASD/ADHD…just wanted to no the right brand of omega 3,6 and 9,or is 3 and 6 enough,also u mentioned Magnesium, so could I gave that also.He gets lots of sea air exercise etc….diet isn’t to bad,could be better,thanku.
Hi Margaret – Omega-3 is what you need. No need for 6 and 9. He’s probably getting too much 6. Magnesium and a multivitamin will probably help as well. If he has ADHD, then diet is certainly bad. Need to accept that. Start with diet first before looking at supplements.
Thank you SO MUCH for reviewing these omega 3 products! I have my 3 year old taking the Nordic Naturals fishes & I currently take Dr. Mercolas Womens Krill Oil. I may switch to Viva Labs Krill Oil once I run out of the other. I’m breastfeeding twins so I know it’s important for me to get enough omega 3s. I’ve taken Carlson’s Cod Liver Oil most my adult life but I hear Krill Oil is more efficient. I would love to hear your thoughts on this!
Thanks!!
Hi April – congrats on the twins! I can only imagine how crazy your life is!
Good choice on your kid’s Omega-3 product. Nordic fishies are great. But BAD choice on your Omega-3 product! Do not take krill oil (regardless of who makes it) as a sole source of Omega-3. Krill oil does not have much Omega-3 in it. It is really a very good phospholipid supplement. If you are breastfeeding, you need a phospholipid supplement – it is good for you and their brain development. But you ARE DEFINITELY NOT getting enough Omega-3, especially DHA if you are breastfeeding twins. I have written several articles about this on this site. Krill oil is an over-hyped and over-marketed product. You need to be taking a separate Omega-3 supplement that gives you at least 1000 mg of DHA per day. You’ll literally need dozens krill oil pills or more to get that.
You don’t need to buy our DHA 600 product, there are several other good DHA pills out there. Buy any one of them. But you definitely need one in addition to the krill oil. Yes, krill oil is slightly better absorbed and more ‘efficient’ but each Mercola krill oil pill has just 27 mg of DHA. You will need 37 pills to get to 1000 mg of DHA per day. I don’t care how well absorbed those 27 mg of DHA are – it is still just 27 mg.
You may want to read this as well: https://omegavia.com/fish-oil-during-pregnancy/ – it’s about when my wife was pregnant with twins. 🙂
I am curious what your personal opinion of Dr. Sears style high dose fish oil is. 10grams per day type dosing.
Thank you
Hi Denise – I think that is fine for short term acute treatment of inflammation – concussion, brain injury etc. And also if you have severe chronic inflammation issues, you can get some of that discomfort more bearable temporarily. But I am not for continued used of high dose Omega-3. 10 grams of Omega-3 per day is simply too much and most of us don’t have the genes to handle or or the antioxidant load in our foods to counter the oxidative burden. I am for tough love – really cut out the industrial seed oils that are high in Omega-6, cut back on sugars and refined carbs, and work on healing gut inflammation, leaky gut, dysbiosis, increase soluble fiber etc. All of these things together will reduce your need for unusual and unnaturally high anti-inflammatory Omega-3s. If you eat a crappy, standard american diet, you probably need about 5 grams of Omega-3 per day…or more. I’d much rather you tackle the root cause of inflammation thru diet and lifestyle changes.
Hi,
I had my daughter on learning factors school aid, but they no longer make it… and I have tried other types and I am noticing her mood is unstable again. … it had a 5:1 ratio of dha to epa… where as the others I have found are not that ratio… does the ratio play an effect on how well it works?
Hi Tay – the ratios can affect end results a little bit, but I seriously doubt that is the case here. I’d go with regular Omega-3…may be double dose it of you need to.
My 14 year old has auditory processing as i have read this very informative posts i understand that supplements do NOT cure any of that. At the moment he is taking smarty pants vitamins with the omega 3 but can you suggest to me what omega and how much he should be taking as i would like to incorporate it into his daily routine? thanks so much for your help i really appreciate your advice and guidance
Hi Nancy – I called the product your son is taking ‘junk food with a halo’ at some point. There is hardly any Omega-3 in those types of products. Try to get about 1000 mg of Omega-3 per day. Ideally from seafood. If not, supplement with pills.
I’m confused. I purchased MegaRed by Schiff, OMEGA-3 KRILL OIL 300mg.
Supplement facts state to take (1) softgel per day. Each softgel contains:
Krill oil 300mg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 90mg
EPA 50mg
DHA 24mg
Phospholipids 130mg
Astaxanthin (from krill oil) 17mcg
I have only been giving my 14 year old step son (1) softgel daily with his dinner. Should I be giving him (2) softgels, is this safe?
He recently moved in with us, coming from a home to which he lived on junk (processed foods), sugar, and caffeine. He was having 3-4 headaches per week and has issues with memory, concentration, attention,unable to read his handwriting, an over-all mentality of that of an elementary aged child, and problems falling asleep.
I completely changed his diet from what I listed above to fresh fruits, raw or lightly steamed vegetables, lean chicken, pork, beef with only natural seasonings (no breading), nuts (like almonds),beans/grains. I eliminated all sugar, processed foods, and caffeine from his diet. I get him to drink 5-6 8oz glasses of water per day, this is all I can get in him with him having to be in school the majority of the day (but considering he came from a home where he was drinking 0 water per day…I think 5-6 8 oz glasses per day is pretty good). I am trying to help him the most natural way I can. His headaches have completely stopped, he has not had one headache within these past 3 weeks of the changes.
I believe he may be needing more than the (1) softgel of the Omega-3 supplement I have been giving him, but am confused as to exactly how much of the EPA, DHA, krill oil, Omega-3 fatty acids, phospholipids, and astaxanthin is needed per day for his age and do not want to over do anything, and cause harm.
Hi Melissa – kudos to you for doing this for him! Krill oil is not an Omega-3 supplement. It is really a phospholipid supplement – you need it for brain health. But you can get a lot more phospholipids from eggs. For Omega-3, I suggest pharma grade fish oils. Aim for 1000 mg per day. May be twice that much for the first couple of months. If he’ll take liquid fish oil, give him a teaspoon of that. You can give him the krill oil pill if you want – no harm in it. But to get a real benefits, he will need to take half a dozen a day. No harm with 6 a day, but anything less is a waste of time.
The symptoms you listed is classic for someone living off soda and junk food. He’s truly lucky that you intervened.
Thank you so much for your quick response! You suggest a pharma grade fish oil at 1,000 mg per day, (but starting with 2,000 mg per day for a couple of months)…also suggested if I continue the Krill oil, I would need to give him 6 softgels per day to gain any benefits. I will be giving him 6 softgels per day starting today, (2 with breakfast, 2 with afternoon snack and 2 with dinner…will this be ok?) Now…should I ALSO go ahead and get the pharma grade fish oil and begin it now as well? Or should I wait until he finishes off all the krill oil and then begin the fish oil you recommended? I am VERY ignorant to all this!
I would also like to start him on a multi-vitamin, as I have researched and found that Vits, E, C, B6, B12 as well as Magnesium, folic acid/folate, and flavonoids are all very beneficial to brain health/support. What is your recommendation on a multi-vitamin? Or should I only be seeking out those specific vitamins I listed above? I have been searching in stores, but am having trouble finding a multi-vitamin for his age group (14 years old) that aren’t gummies! I have read that liquid, capsule, or softgels are the best absorbed as well as not having any added sugar in them like the “gummies” do. With him not only having been addicted to sugar, but also very sensitive to the effects of sugar (more than most people), we are trying very hard to limit any/all sugar from his diet unless it’s natural (via fruits, etc.)
Other than the fish oil, possibly multi-vitamin or specific vits listed above, are there any other recommendations?
Hi Melissa – you could give him the krill oil pills until the bottle is finished, but after that, I’d discontinue. No harm in taking the krill, but it’s simply too weak a source of Omegas to give you much benefit. Giving him 2 pills with each meal will get tiresome for everyone involved. It’s best to give him a pill that contains 1000 mg of Omega-3 (not 1000 mg of fish oil – there is a difference!) and be done with it.
I’ve written DOZENS of articles here for you to read. Can’t repeat all of that here. But read the other articles, especially the ones about diet.
Hi Vin, Thanks for the article, very helpful.
I’ve been giving my kid 2 of these products and my kid was OK with the taste:
(Ascenta NutraSea Kids)https://www.ascentahealth.com/store/nutrasea-kids-bubble-gum-200ml.html#product-nutrition
and
(Nordic Naturals Children’s DHA liquid)http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Products/Product_Details/514/?ProdID=1451
My girl is almost 5 years old. If you had to choose, which of the two mentioned be more suitable?
Many thanks!
Hi Charlie – one teaspoon of the NutraSea has 520 mg of Omega-3 with more EPA than DHA. Whereas the Nordic item has twice as much Omega-3 per teaspoon. I’d go with half teaspoon of the Nordic oil per day, assuming your kid likes the taste.
One thing i forgot to mention is that i’ve read that generally smaller size fish is the better source of omega. Is that true?
Ascenta NutraSea Kids: anchovies, sardines
Nordic Naturals Children’s DHA liquid: purified arctic cod liver oil
One is a small fish and the other from a larger fish liver.
How important is the extra Vitamin A for a a growing kid.
Thank you once again!
Hi Charlie – this is somewhat of a myth. It’s true if you’re eating the fish itself because larger, older, predatory fish at the top of the food chain tend to accumulate more environmental toxins. But with purified oils, it’s not an issue. The ‘gunk’ is purified out.
Extra Vitamin A, D3, E, and K2 are critical! You need all three and virtually all kids are deficient in these fat-soluble vitamins. They all work together. Without enough E, the brain tends to be deficient in DHA. We don’t know why, but it’s true. For now, focus on eating seafood, grass-fed butter, hard cheeses, lots of pasture-raised eggs. Oh, and liver too. Avoid these foods at your peril.
Thanks a lot for your explanation! As a low carbohydrate life style follower I cannot agree more with the mentioned foods.
Hi Charlie – I think it is a good idea for most people to be LOWER in carbs. But a true low-low-carb diet (ketogenic or borderline ketogenic) starves your gut microflora. Be very careful with making sure that you consume a lot of vegetables with soluble fibers. Probiotic bacteria need soluble fiber to stay alive. Otherwise, they have nothing to feed on but the mucus in the intestines. Start reading up on prebiotics. Ideally, we need at least 20 grams of prebiotic fibers per day…but most of us get bloated and gassy at 5 to 10 grams. This tells you how off target we’ve become.
Oh wow, thank you for the information. I will definitely start reading up on prEbiotics. I thought diary based Kefir (not store bought), fermented foods were enough for me and my family(probiotics) to keep gut happy. Vegetables are definitely something that I emphasize on, trying to make that the only source of daily “carbs”. Just to put it out there, not to sound like a crazy person: no, my kid is not on that type of lifestyle. The only restriction for her is any type of refined sugar/substitutes access, aside from that its a fair game.
Also, in your article you mention 200mg of Omega for a 4-6 year old. is that total Omegas or just DHA?
Thank you so so much !
Hi Charlie – 200 mg DHA is what I’d aim for for a kid that age. A little more DHA and EPA is fine too.
Thank you so much for this list. I have been looking for a list of Omega 3 supplements for my kid who has adhd and could sometimes be overly aggressive. She’s almost 5 but she hits anyone who upsets her. We love her very much and we try to be consistent with discipline but it breaks my heart to see her hit us and I’m hoping a few months of Omega 3 would reduce that of not completely eliminate it.
Hi Izzy – I hope you see some improvements. I very strongly suggest you move away permanently from all processed foods, grains, juices, and sugar. Give her only whole foods – vegetables, fruits, meats, seafood, eggs, and nuts…assuming there are no allergies. Cook everything at home with olive oil and butter. Start looking into probiotics for kids as well. Just one supplement, Omega-3, alone may not do much. Talk to professionals about both diet and impulse control issues. I have a daughter who’s almost 5…and that’s what I’d do.
Hi Vin,
Thanks a lot for your great work in writing about Diet, Omega 3 product reviews for children. I am and my family is raised Vegetarian(Diary and Egg included).
I have been very careful about diet for the whole family. Cooking real home made food most times of the day, Including home made lunches to kids etc.
No Sodas and Juices. Most times, our diet contain fermented rice cakes and crepes (Idlies and Dosas), Organic Milk and Eggs with lots of spinach and lentils.
I have two sons 8 yrs and 4 yrs. I want to start on the Omega 3 supplement like Sea-licious or Nordic Natural Fishies for my kids. Any suggestions on the Omega 3 Supplements and multivitamins I should consider with this.
Secondly, Shall I take any adult brand Omega3 and multivitamin supplement for myself and Family.
Thanks for your time and help.
Regards,
Yoga.
Hi Yoga – since you’re ovo/lacto vegetarians, the first thing I want to say is to increase the quantity and quality of eggs. Eggs are a great source of DHA. I have a family of 4 and we go thru 4 dozen eggs a week. Slowly transition away from grain-based diet to a root/tuber/plantain based one. Look up recipes for plantain pancakes.
I think either of the choices you mention are fine for the kids. Experiment.
As for you, well, get an Omega-3 index test. If you’re at 8% or higher, you’re fine. No need to supplement. If you’re under, then, buy a product like OmegaVia or one of the several other good brands.
Hi Vin,
Thanks a lot for your timely response.
I will look into the suggestions on the Diet and Omega-3 Test for us the adults. I will follow that through.
I have started with Liquid Nutrasea for kids as I couldn’t find the sealicious near me (Canada). I started with a Dosage of 5ml for each child . Please let me know if this dose is good?
Much Appreciated your help & Thanks again Vin,
Yoga.
I am raising my 9 year old granddaughter who was prenatally exposed to nicotine and drugs, domestic violence and her mother’s extreme anxiety. After birth she lived with her drug addict mother for the first 4 months of her life and experienced neglect and at least 3 disruptions of caretakers. Until PE tubes were placed at age 3 she experienced frequent and painful ear infections. As a result she has had multiple diagnoses. Nothing explained her multiple symptoms, behaviors and deficits until we learned about Fetal Alcohol/Substance Exposure, which we are almost certain she is suffering from. I have read that Omega 3s can be helpful with some of the problems these children suffer from. Can you recommend what she should take? I have looked at so many Omega 3 products and am completely confused. The only preference I have is avoiding fish burps and fishy taste. She can swallow pills but I’m not sure about some of the giant horse pills I’ve seen. Pills are preferable to liquids because she won’t drink smoothies. I understand that the ideal way to get Omega 3s is through diet but because of her sensory processing disorder her diet is extremely limited.
Hi Mai – I don’t think that Omega-3 will reverse fetal alcohol syndrome. However, adding fish to her diet and/or giving her Omega-3 supplement can only help. Don’t overthink this. You can try one of the Nordic Natural fishies or gummies. Our regular OmegaVia pill will be too big for her, but we make two smaller pill – EPA 500 and DHA 600. These may also be a little big for her. If so, there is a product called NurtureMe DHA on Amazon.com – that is the tiniest DHA pill on the market.
Hi,
My son is 23 months old .We are vegeterian so we cannot take fish or egg.
I would like to give him fish oil or omega 3 supplement.
Kindly suggest some good brand.
Also I doubt that he will take gummies or fishies so please suggest liquid supplement.
Thanks
Hi Neha – no fish + no eggs = high likelihood of several deficiencies and impaired brain growth. Pick one from the list above.
I am a Mother of 7 year old boy and I wanted to give him a omega 3 fish oil. I am confused which brand is safest and will works well for my son. My son is an energetic boy that his focus for studying is just for a little spun of time. I’ve watched a show in bio channel and they recommend that children that have adhd can try to have omega 3 fish oil for daily routine. I am confuse what brand is the best to take is it Usana bio omega junior, Nordic pro omega junior, Kirkland, xtend life and if omegivia can be for his age. I tried green life dha and it works for him but not really sure about the grade of it and I am worried about the mercury contamination. Please it will be a great health help if you can advice me about it. As I am worried about the Long term effect for my sons health. Thanks in advance! God bless
Hi Lovelane – if the only worry you have is the presence of mercury in the fish oils, then I have good news for you. The type of mercury found in fish is not soluble in oil. So oils do not have measurable amount of mercury. While large fish may have some mercury, fish oils do not typically have mercury. All the brands you mention are fine.
Hi Vin,
I have 5 year old twin girls. What Omega capsules can you recommend that are on the cheaper side. I like the Nortic fishies, but they seem a little pricey. I also like the idea of just once a day with meals.
Hi Yesica – I think you’re better off with a liquid Omega-3 or flavored Omega-3 item. Five year olds are still too young to swallow pills.
Hi Vin, thank you for the very informative article. My son is 2.5 years old. He is a hyperactive toddler with a limited attention span for activities he does not like. He is also more aggressive than other toddlers of his age. Having said that, all his milestones have been achieved well in time. While he is just a baby, I would want to avoid any future issues particularly in relation to his aggression and attention span. I give him around 3 ml of Nordic Naturals Children DHA everyday. Please could you let me know if I should be giving him any other supplement at this age? Also, should I try Natural Calm – Magnesium? Thanks a lot for your help.
Hi Twisha – I think the Nordic DHA or any liquid Omega-3 that contains both DHA and EPA are fine. Natural calm might be good. But I think you need to look at this as a diet issue. Not a supplement issue. Eliminate sugar, soda, juices, and refined grains in cereals etc. Focus on vegetables, meats, seafood, eggs, fruits, nuts.
People start with supplements and medications. But you should be starting with dietary changes instead.
Hi Vin
Is it ok to give OMEGUARD Liquid omega 3 Strawberry flavour to give for my 4 month old son? thank you
Hi Beza – that may be too much. If you are breastfeeding your child, then you can take 1 or 2 teaspoons per day. But one teaspoon gives you 1500 mg of Omega-3. That is too much for a 4 month old. 100 to 200 mg per day would be much better.
Hi Vin,
I am a mother of 5 years old boy and 3 years old girl.My son has a low concentration problem at school.I would like to use a chewable one for both of them which can help their concentration that you could suggest?
Also someone mentioned that; her child has a not too bad eating habit and he has ADHD and you replied back he might not have good eating habit if he has ADHD.Is that mean the diet can trigger the ADHD? Is it not come naturally regardless of diet?Could you explain a bit more on this.
As I concern that my child might have ADHD too.I give juice, chocolate, biscuits twice a week the most.However I think they choose at their lunch at school every day.Is it too much do you think and also would you suggest a time for those kind of things, I give after breakfast would be better I thought. Thank you so much for all the useful information that you gave.
Hi Henza – don’t expect a chewable Omega-3 to fix the problem. The ‘problem’ was caused by inappropriate diet, gut microflora, environment, and inactivity and fixing those root causes are the only surefire way out. Omega-3 is part of a good diet and taking it may improve conditions somewhat. But you should NOT stop there. As with most conditions, genetics play a role, but we are learning that diet and environment play much bigger roles in wellness.
Most parents think they give their kids a good diet. I am not talking about you, but people in general. But from what I’ve seen, even those who think they are feeding their kids well are far off the mark. Feed your kids real food – stuff that was alive last week. And stuff that you cooked at home with olive oil or butter. This should be your goal. You can give them juice and chocolate on special occasions. My kids get full fat ice cream at birthday parties. I can set my watch to it – after 30 minutes they are running around screaming. The sugar high lasts about an hour. After that they don’t get treats like that until it is someone else’s birthday.
I’ll repeat it: feed your kids real food – stuff that was alive last week. Mostly plants. Some seafood, eggs, and meat.
Thank you for a fascinating article. My daughter 2 1/2 yrs, had whooping cough as a baby and was very poorly for a long while. Now she is catching of colds/coughs as she has started play school and I can hear her chest is not fully clearing after a cough, before the next one. From your article I will buy the nordic fishies today but do you think she needs more than a normal dose. She eats a great diet without gluten or processed sugar, and fruit and veg each meal, eggs, meat, fish etc.. so I try and do this as priority for her. Any other advice would be extremely helpful, or products you may have heard of for children in her situation. thank you very much.
Nicola
Hi Nicola – looks like her diet is fine. Omega-3 will help reduce inflammation, so there is less of that to cause chest issues. But 2 1/2 year old are virus magnets! I remember when mine were that young – it felt like they had one giant, year-long cold. As soon as they get over one virus, it’s onto the next. You have another year or so of this. My suggestion to you is to get her exposed to probiotics – several different strains. Get her liquid Vit A and D drops. Try Culturelle for kids. Get her some prebiotic fibers.
I have a 6 almost 7yr old that I would like to start on an omega3.
I got nordic naturals ultimate omega mini. The dose is 2 soft gels. Is that too much?
It has 325 epa and 225dha.
Hi Kat – if your kid can swallow the pill, then great, it is not too much. If you’re concerned, one pill per day is fine too.
Hi vin, I give my 10 year old son attentive child. He has no behavior problems, just would like him to stay focused in school. I am looking to Add a fish oil. What is your best suggestion? Thanks!
Hi Staci – go with any of the ones recommended above.
Hi! I have 5 children (ages 9, 7, 5, 3, 1). They currently take a multivitamin and vitamin d supplement during these crazy, cold months. We’d love to add a liquid form of omega 3 and DHA and EPA to their morning fruit smoothies. I’ve read your article and all of the comments. I think I’m more confused now. 😉 My daughter (the 7 year old) is dyslexic, but not hyperactive. I would just like to help improve the school age children’s focus at school. What liquid omega would u reccommend? Something not crazy expensive since I need to buy a lot and what dosage? Thanks!!
Hi Lynette – try Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega liquid. If you’re worried about cost, give them the stuff every other day. The 1 year old will need a lot less, may be 100 mg Omega-3 per day. The others should be find with a tsp every other day.
PS: don’t overthink this! You have enough to deal with. Don’t get tripped up in minor decisions like this – you’ll go crazy otherwise! So just do it. Buy a bottle of it and move on. Good luck.
Hello Vin! I was so excited to read your review and so thankful, also. I’ve been trying to find some relief for my 19 month old grandson. He has terrible eczema, especially on his face and hands. I’ve been reading how probiotics, essential oils, and Omega 3 can help with this issue. I realize there are several other factors to look at including diet. I’m convinced that a more natural approach is best. Considering that he is 19 months old and around 26 pounds, he should be taking 130 mg of DHA a day. I noticed that EPA wasn’t mentioned for children under 2. Would I still just stick with the DHA numbers when choosing a liquid product from your list above? Thank you (and your twins!) for the dedication and time to share this with us!
Hi Tammye – eczema is an inflammatory condition. You are right in that Omega-3 and probiotics can help. But I would start with diet. If he is drinking lots of juice or sugary stuff, cut it out completely. If he is eating a lot of grains, switch it out for things like fruits, potatoes and carrots. Get all carbs from fruits, vegetables, tubers, and from milk, assuming he is not allergic to milk. Your efforts need to be 80% on diet. And 20% on supplements. If you expect pills to fix it, you’ll be disappointed. Look into anti-inflammatory diets. Eczema is really the first issue and the tip of the iceberg. There are more inflammatory conditions waiting. As far as supplements go, roughly 200 mg DHA and about the same in EPA will be OK. May need more EPA to reduce inflammation, but it’s really a band aid. Get to the root of the inflammation with diet.
Hello,
My son was just diagnosed with ADD and I would like to try with natural remedies and change in Diet rather than the medicines.
I heard so many versions of the Omega 3 EPA and DHA dosage that I am completely lost and do not know which dosage is good.
I saw Trader joes has a 1200 mg fish oil plus EPA 400 and DHA 200 for adult which seems well dosed but way too high for kids. Omegabrite seems low only EPA 350 and DHA 40 mg. I gathered from all the reading on the web that it should be about 1000 mg omega 3 with about 350 mg max EPA and DHA combined to have an effect for kids with ADD.
Which brand or dosage would you recommend for a 8 years old with a lot of problems focusing that doesn t eat any fish.. Thank you for your help
Sophie
Hi Sophie – if I may be frank, I think you are focusing on the wrong things. The most important thing is to fix diet and lifestyle. More in that in a bit. As for Omega-3, more EPA is better than more DHA. There is no firm dose that ‘cures’ ADD in kids. But 500 to 1000 mg Omega-3 per day is fine. Initially, you may even go twice as high for a few weeks. But certainly do NOT expect this to fix the situation. You cannot supplement your way out of ADD or any other illness. You will need to focus on diet – eliminate all juices, sugar, sodas, junk food, flour, refined grains, candy etc. Yes, that means no pizza, pasta, bagels etc. His diet needs to be a wide variety of vegetables, seafood, grass-fed meats, eggs, and some fruits and nuts. Use Olive oil, butter and coconut oil generously. I call it a version of high-veggie paleo type diet. You may still need to supplement with Omega-3, Vitamin D, Magnesium, and probiotics. Lots of outdoor play in the sunshine without sunscreen. Kids need to play in the dirt – that’s how they build their probiotic colonies and their immunity.
Can my 14 year old taking omega 3 or omega 3 6 9 ? He is going to the gym 3 time a day.
Hi Flores – yes. Go with just Omega-3. Not Omega-3-6-9.
Hi
Was very much moved by the bulk information on Fatty acids. My major concern is does these help kids improve their memory? Or just help them to be more attentive in case of hyperactiveness?!
I need suggestion on dosage for a 6 years old boy ( 59lbs)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002CQU53C/ref=sr_ph_2_s_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1467694959&sr=sr-2&keywords=nordic+naturals
And when to start babies on these supplements? My daughter is 7 months old now. Which brand would you suggest for her and how much?
Thanks so much
Hi Susan – kids NEED Omega-3 desperately, especially if they are eating pizza, cereal, and not eating a lot of wild fish and eggs. It will help their brains and eyes develop – memory and attention etc are part of proper development. At the very least, give them Omega-3 eggs on a daily basis.
If you are no longer breast feeding your daughter, then begin incorporating fish and eggs into her diet. If not, consider liquid Omegas from Nordic Naturals.
Hi Vin,
I just finished reading all questions and comments. Uff! 🙂 Lots of good stuff! Thanks for being so approachable and helpful! I have a 21 month old daughter who is on the lower end of weight – 21 pounds, about 15 percentile. She is about 33 inches high (75 percentile). I still breastfeed her, and as far as foods go, we buy wholesome items (grassfed meats, eggs, and milk, organic fruits and vegetables, etc), although there are days when she doesn’t eat as much as I would like. Because her weight is low, I tend not to care whether or not she eats grains and various carbs, like beans, oatmeal, bread, pasta, cookies, etc, or even full fat ice cream (I know, processed sugar is no good). I keep on wanting her to gain weight. 🙁 She is super active, and is sometimes a bit too hyper in my opinion to the point of being stubborn when she doesn’t get what she wants, so I’m not sure if the carbs/sugars are playing a role here.
Given your recommendations before, one thing I’m certain is that I’m planning on eliminating the refined sugars from her diet (cake, cookies, ice cream, etc). Now comes my questions… I currently take a multivitamin supplement (Mega Food Baby and Me) and an Omega 3 supplement (Nordic Naturals) that contain 830 mg (205 EPA + 480 DHA). Should I up my dose of Omega 3 since I’m still breastfeeding? Or should I start giving her the fishies directly? I plan on reducing the breastfeeding so she can hopefully eat more food. I’m afraid she may not end up getting the Omega 3 from me as much! Is there anything else you’d recommend? A multi-vitamin for her? I can’t force her to eat and I’m concerned the amount of nutrients she is taking overall. Thanks a bunch!
Hi Cat – some of what you’re describing is classis behavior for 21 months olds. 🙂 Like what happens when they dont get what they want. Ugh. But her low weight is no reason to allow bread and pasta. Let her have all the carbs she wants from roots and tubers instead. There is NOTHING healthy (I mean NOTHING!) that you get from grains that you cannot get from veggies, fruits, nuts, and tubers. At least ice cream has some fat, so it is not all bad. My son would have a melt down 30 minutes after drinking juice. We’ve let it happen a couple of times. Ice cream too, but only if he can run like his hair is on fire (and he will do this too about 30 minutes after eating it) for a while to burn it off. If there is no outlet for the sudden spike in craziness, you’re in trouble. But the downside is that there will be a blood sugar crash in an hour. Good luck with handling the behavior that comes with that. Most parents think this is part of being a kid. It’s not.
Since you’re still breast feeding (how awesome is that!!!) you should be taking a LOT more DHA. Try our DHA 600 in addition to what you’re taking. Aim for 1000 mg DHA per day. Even 2000 mg is reasonable. You can give her the fishies too. But better if it comes from mom.
Add more real foods. Eggs. Fish. Lots and lots of veggies and some grass fed meats, and healthy fats. Lots of play outside in the dirt. Unless she touches chemicals or something synthetic, don’t wash her hands as much. Please let her get dirty and it’s healthy to put stuff in her mouth. Get pets. Take her to a farm or petting zoo. It’s all about gut probiotics at this age – this is a critical probiotic imprinting age. After the age of 3 or 4, there isn’t much we can do about probiotic diversity. Get her a chewable probiotic too – our sister company InnovixLabs makes one.
Hello, I have read many of these postings and have helped with some of my decisions with my just turning 10 son, last Oct 2015 we changed his diet to mostly gluten free, dairy free, low sugar, veggies, fruits, high protein, lots of exercise and most important great sleep. He takes Vayarin twice per day, Healthy N Fit Kid Natural vitamin once a day, Bio-Strath whole food supplement (one pill 2-3 time daily) which supposedly has the nutrition needed for ADD kids, fidgety kids and focus-mood issues, also takes Nordic Naturals DHA extra but only one pill per day so he gets DHA 480MG AND EPA 205MG, but after reading your post it appears that I should look to increase EPA, what that be accurate? What are your thoughts of this over lifestyle and supplements my son is taking. Our teacher said last January that he is a night and day difference since Oct, she said whatever you’re doing keep it going, but we don’t know exactly what really helped but we as parents just want to keep it going but make adjustments if necessary, especially if some supplements are not needed. What are your thoughts?
Wow Chris – I wish most parents with ADD kids do what you’ve done. I think the Omega-3 levels are OK. You could add our EPA 500 and it will probably help a little. Focus on probiotics and prebiotic fiber some more. Our sister company has a probiotic and a prebiotic product on the way. This will help shift gut flora to contain more calming gut bugs.
Can l use Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fishies to my 3 years old? Is the dosage in this small fishy thing suitable for him?
Another thing that couldn’t understand. You said that your twins will happily eat the Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fishies? Didn’t you try it?!!!
Hi Arwa – yes, and yes.
Kids still ask for it even though they are now capable of eating adult Omega-3 capsules (they pop it in their mouths and chew on the gelatin capsule for fun! Go figure!)
And, yes, I try everything.
Hi!
Love all this great info! I just ordered the Nordic fishies for my son (3yrs old) and daughter(2 yrs old) Can you recommend a good multivitamin to go along with the fishes? Thanks so much!!
Hi Alana – there isn’t a multivitamin on the market that I like. That particularly applies to kids’ multis, which are always missing critical nutrients, and/or have the wrong amount or form of many others. I really, really don’t like giving kids multivitamins. Yes, this shifts additional burden on us parents. I know. Find ways to get liver, egg yolks, salmon, veggies, and other nutrient dense foods into them. The earlier you start the better. We mix a little liver (grass-fed) into hamburger meat. EPIC bars have little liver jerky. Just have to get clever.
Hi Vin,
For some reason my browser would not allow a reply to your reply, so wanted to first thank you for a detailed response to my questions. As a follow up, I’ll be purchasing the OmegaVia DHA 600 and will take two capsules, since my current Nordic Naturals is finished. Would I need to get a supplement EPA as well? If so, which would you recommend? Also, I see that you didn’t recommend a multi-vitamin to supplement any potential nutrition deficiency. Any particular reason? I had my eyes on the Dr. Mercola Children’s Multivitamin. Also, I did get the Nordic Naturals Children’s DHA in liquid for her. Now that I’m thinking, it’s probably too much for her, isn’t it? Since she is still breastfeeding and would get the supplement through me.
Thanks for the recommendation on the probiotic! Will definitely purchase that one!
HI Cat – you could benefit from some EPA too. May want to try our EPA 500. This may be critical if you suspect post-partum mood issues.
I just responded to another post about why I don’t give multivitamins to kids – see above. If you’re eating really well, no need to give multivitamins to breast feeding kids. They’ll get most important things through you.
Thank you so much again! 🙂
Thanks for the info! A couple of questions…
– Do you have any concerns about Vitamin A intake for children?
– Have you researched Nature Made (or any of these firms) with the various industry watchdog groups? Fish oil, in particular, is a product that tends to fail label comparisons and safety checks.
Hi Brian – yes, my concern is that they are not getting enough. In many third-world countries, kids are losing eye sight as a result of Vit A deficiency. It’s not so bad here in the US, but our intake is far from optimal. Beta-carotene and other vegetable PRECURSORS of Vitamin A should be considered as Vitamin A, as they are in multivitamins and by policy makers.
My kids gets a lot of grass-fed butter, meats, seafood, egg yolks, and occasionally liver. So they are probably covered. But once a week or every other week, I will give them a 20,000 IU Vit A capsule (NOW brand) that’s made from fish. They chomp on it like they do their Vit D and K2 capsules.
I don’t track or follow NatureMade – they make mass market products. I prefer other brands. If you are interested in fish oil, check out IFOS Consumer Reports, ConsumerLab.com or Labdoor.com for third-party tested products.
Fish oil products GET ATTENTION when they fail label claims. But overall, fish oil supplements, even the cheap ones sold at Walmart etc. are compliant of label claims.
Hello
Thank you this is very helpful.
Do you have any input on these. I read great reviews for the adult version. And was wondering if these would be good for the kids. I really don’t know much about supplements so your opinion would be greatly valued.
QuattrO3 + PS – Fish Oil Complex for Children https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BKOBPZ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_XE4Zxb39TSMVR
Hi Popi – it is a good product. I wish it had more PS and Vitamin D3. 400 IU of D3 is simply not enough for optimal health. If your kid only takes one pill instead of the recommended two, it wont be enough Omega-3 either.
Hello! Loved reading this! So my boy, Lucas is 3 years old and I believe somewhere near 35 lbs. He’s a very picky eater- sensitive to strong smells. I’m trying to make sure I buy a supplement that has all of the things you’ve mentioned that he needs (EPA, DHA, Omega 3 {and 6???), what else am I missing?) I took note of your favorite one, the Nordic Fishes?, and was going to buy it. Does that have the recommended doses for a 3 yr old? If not, I’d be willing to get different products that have all the nutrients, and appropriate doses. As long as hell tolerate it- he wouldn’t touch fish with a 10 foot pole;-( Thank you in advance! I’m also 10 weeks pregnant. I’m taking a prenatal- any advice on that?
~Erica~
Hi Erica – congrats on your pregnancy! You may want to read this: https://omegavia.com/fish-oil-during-pregnancy/ Take at least 600 mg DHA and 900 mg during your third trimester. Also, read about the other nutrients that most pregnant women are deficient in – near the bottom of the article. Get a lot of full body sun exposure without sunscreen before summer is over.
As for your boy, your challenge (and for most other parents) is going to be getting him to widen his food choices. This is not easy. Kids are picky and it is easy given everything else we need to do in a day to give them what we know they will eat. It is easy to get into a similar pattern of familiar and non-rejected foods. This is harmful in the long and short term. He will begin running low on nutrients and his gut microbiome will begin to suffer. So start working on foods that you know he needs but will reject. I find doing this very frustrating sometimes. Meal times become a pain in the a**. But our responsibility is to put a wide variety of healthy clean foods in front of them 3 times a day. They will reject some/most/all of it on some days. If I’m in a ‘tough love’ mood, I’ll let them reject the food and go hungry. I’ll then serve them the rejected meal as a snack two hours later. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. But here is what happens that is really, really cool: kids watch what you eat. If you eat fish, and they keep seeing fish on their plate regularly, the resistance will eventually wear down.
That proverbial 10-foot pole will slowly go away. Example: my kids are the only ones who dont seem to like fruits! So, on their 5th birthday (about a year ago), I decided that i am committing to a one-year struggle. Told my wife about it too: I am going to give the kids a different fruit every day until they turn six. Just a tiny piece. I also told the kids that if they ate fruits and veggies that they’d get ‘tall like mommy and daddy’ and if they dont eat their fruits, that they’d turn young and go back to being 4 instead of getting older and turning 6. It hasnt been easy and I have slacked on a few days. But that 10-foot pole is gone now. Still, my boy throw up raspberries and my daughter cant stand bananas. I’ll grant them their quirks. But fruits are no longer gross.
Hi Vin,
Very informative.. Gald i stumbled upon this site.
Can you please suggest some good omega supplements for my 10 year old son and 3 and half year old daughter. I know u mentioned a huge list .. But iam lost .. Not able to decide.
This is the take, my son has not been diagnosed with add or adhd (actually got him evaluated) but he had signs of inattentiveness, lack of focus and concentration. Teachers think that he has difficulty understanding and processing or comprehending their teaching or what he is reading. I feel he is on the borderline , where a diagnosis can’t be made.
So i was searching for solutions other than medications. Thought on giving a try with omega supplements. Please advice on this.
So want to be lill proactive with my 3 and half old and give her supplements too.
Please suggest a good brand and dosage for both. Other alternative suggestions are appreciated too.
Thanks…
Hi V – please read the article again. I’ve made clear recommendations for younger kids. But for 10 year olds, any flavored softgel should suffice. If your kids are ‘borderline’ undiagnosed, then eliminate sugar, flour, processed foods and incorporate 60 minutes of outdoor play daily in addition to Omegas.
Hi Vin, love to read every word from you! My son, 8yr old, has ADHD. He is on VegEPA (3 caps of total EPA 840mg, GLA 27mg, VE 3mg). Our doc suggested on this for 3 months or more, after that add additional DHA for 200mg, which my son can take as long term supplement. Is the long run dosage (EPA 840, DHA 200 GLA27, VE 3g) ok for a boy 8 years old and 70 pounds?
Our family is implementing strict dieting. Occasionally special treats for good achievements. However, my son loves orange juice, so I only buy him Florida’s Natural Premium, it says 100% squeezed from fresh oranges not from concentrate, and I also do not see any additions on the label. Is this kind of juice OK for dieting?
Thank you for your advice! Appreciate so much for everything you have done for our parents.
Hi Nicole – thank you, and yes, that dosage should be fine. What specific diet are you putting him on? I hope it is a ‘whole foods only’ diet: veggies, fruits, leafy greens, eggs, meats, fish, and nuts. If it was alive last week or the week before, then eat it. Nuts are the only exceptions.
I look at orange juice (and any juice) as Coca Cola with a halo. A child with diagnosed ADHD should not come anywhere near orange juice. Sorry. Lifestyle wise, I strongly suggest increase daytime sun exposure, outdoor play, activity and exercise.
Look into probiotics.
What do you think about usanna biomega jr?
Please let me know
Hi Gladys – it looks good. I’ve not tried it, but dosage is good. Expensive.
Hi Vin, thank you so much for your advice. I will reduce his orange juice intake to zero! For other dieting tips, we are almost on them. He also has swimming trainings for two hours twice per week and 2 hours soccer per week under the sun.
I also read your article about magnesium, and wanting to supplement him on it. Which one is the best for a boy if not considering price? pure magnesium L-threonate, or pure magnesium bisglycinate, or the one you recommend bisglycinate+malate ?
BTW, my son likes to chew omega 3 softgels, he has no problem with the taste (he seems to play with them in the mouth). But I am wondering if oils are capsuled, does it mean you should swallow it instead of chewing in terms of absorption or effectiveness, or it doesn’t matter at all?
Thank you again for all you have done for concerned parents!!!
Hi Nicole – activity seems adequate. Keep him out in the sun, especially in the summer time.
Magnesium of any sort, as long as it is threonate, bisglycinate, malate are all fine. Even citrate will be fine. You may be able to get a product called Natural Calm, which is a powdered citrate with flavoring.
If he can chew Omega-3 softgels, that’s fantastic. My kids love them too. Thank goodness!
Hello Vin,
Can you please suggest any gelatin-free fish oil gel caps for my 10 year old.
Thanks.
HI Shazia – it is going to be difficult to find gelatin-free fish oil pills. You can find a lot of fish oil pills with bovine gelatin (beef) but contact the company if that is an issue. What will be easier to find is non-gelatin algae-DHA capsules. These will be 100% vegetarian.
Hi Vin
I just came across your review of the best supplement for kids. My son is 4 and his neurologist just told me to give him 500mg of omega 3-6-9 once a day to see if there is any improvement on his lenguaje area since he is below average in this area. His weigh is 118klg.
Thanks
Hi Teresita – find a supplement that is all Omega-3. You don’t need any more Omega-6, as our diets are too high in them. Omega-9 is non-essential and easily available in foods.
Hi Vin,
Great article..
Was going through your recommendations of omega 3 for kids. I have a 10year old boy. I found these at costco. Can you please recommend which one to use for my son, the lill citters is also available but that was not your choice anyway.
Nature’s bounty, Fish oil
Serving size 1 soft gel
Fish oil 1400mg – provides 980 mg total omega 3 fatty acids comprising of :
EPA 647 mg
DHA 253 mg
Other fatty acids
Fish oil – anchovy, mackerel, sardine
Pure Alaska Omega
100% natural omega 3(wild alaskan salmon oil)
Serving size 2 soft gels
Total omega 3 fatty acids 600mg
DHA 220mg
EPA 180mg
Fish oil from salmon
NatureMade fish oil
Serving size 2 soft gels
Fish oil concentrate 2400mg
Total omega 3 fatty acids 720 mg
Omega 3 EPA 360 mg
Omega 3 DHA 240mg
Omega 3 Other 120 mg
Fish oil – anchovy, mackerel, sardine
Thanks
Reddy.
Hi Reddy – i am not a fan of any of them. The Natures Bounty product is probably OK, but it is a very large pill.
Can you tell me what you think about the Bioglan Kids Smart Fishies? They say High DHA Fish Oil…My kids eat them up..the taste like grape syrup..and they eat the the actual chewable burstlet. Thanks!
Hi Michelle – it’s a fine product, but need more EPA. May be give 2 or 3 per day.
Did you ever try the Baby’s *vegan* DHA from Nordic Naturals?
Hi Anon2 – no. Have you? Thoughts?
hi can you recommend me which brand including the dose you will give omega for 2 years old and for 4 and 6 years old.Do you still is good to give them via c and d during the winter time.If yes what dose you recommended.
How about not pasterise milk ofcorse i will boil it directly from the farmer and not pastries cottage cheese.Thank you Izabela
Hi Izabela – I still like the Nordic Naturals Fishes recommended above. Yes, I think C, and D are good for kids in the winter. Talk to your pediatrician about dosage. When my kids turned 4 or 5, I began giving them 5000 IU of Vitamin D once a week. But it is not a good idea to give them a lot of D without K2 and A, so I give them that as well. I am not a big fan of milk. Way too many people (and kids) have issues with it outside of lactose.
My 10 year old son has absolutely no problem swallowing pills. Would it be safe for him to take one of the omegavia supplements each day? He weighs about 83lbs.
Hi Michelle – the amount of Omega-3 would be safe, but whether he can swallow it or not is your call. I’d play it safe and give him one DHA 600 on one day and one EPA 500 on the next. Both of these pills are smaller than the Original OmegaVia.
Hi vin
I have a 7 year old struggling in school …he does average in school.. teachers are complaining about focussing.. sometime they have to tell multiple times to complete a tasks.he has no social interaction too.
I gave him Nordic but I see no improvement…I use to drink natural calm…can I give him same for 7 year old…he drinks grass fed milk…can u give any specific diet. he loves eggs,chicken,nuts,pruness,dates,chapati( wheat flour),,rice with dal,dosa….he eats lots of cakes,muffin,crackers,cookies,
pizza,wheat bread…..
Hi SwathiSwath – Omega-3 and Magnesium are both recommended.
However, wheat flour, cakes, muffin, crackers, cookies, pizza all need to go. None of this is real food. He will protest and threaten to starve, but he needs a whole-foods-only diet: vegetables, seafood, meats, eggs, fruits, and some nuts. No sugar, no juice. Eat (and feed him) stuff that was alive – growing, walking or swimming a week or so ago. Nothing else.
My son is hyper, no focus in school…he is in first greade. i am having a hard time at home too. I am giving him omega 3 ..he is not very good at eating fruits and vegetables. He loves chicken, lamb, eggs. Can you suggest best lead free multivitamin brand for him?
Heard I have to supplement with zinc and probiotics. Can u suggest nice brand?
Hi Uthra – have you had your son evaluated by a doctor? If not, I suggest you do that soon.
Multivitamins, zinc, and probiotics are not a bad idea, but it won’t address the root cause of attention issues. Frankly, throwing pills at the situation will not fix much. A diet that is mostly vegetables, meats, fruits, seafood, and nuts will take care of dietary needs. Sugar, juices, flour, grains will worsen the situation. Beyond that, get him away from the TV and video games. Send him outside to play in the dirt under the sun. Make sure he gets at least 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep every day.
Focus on dietary changes and improved lifestyle. Not pills.
Hello Vin,
So much amazing info you are giving.
Is LC-PUFA the same thing as Omega 3? Is it just another name for it?
Also, are you familiar with Equazen Eye-Q or Equazen Pro? The Equazen PRO literature states specifically “LC-PUFA”, whereas the Equazen Eye Q does not.
My sons pediatrician gave me a sample of the Pro version. He has already been taking Innovix Labs Omega 3 500mg 2/day. He is on his 2nd bottle.
Thank you in advance, Denise
Hi Denise – LC-PUFA stands for long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid. That is a fancy way of saying Omega-3. Specifically, EPA and DHA.
I am somewhat familiar with Equazen. It’s a small pill, so there isnt much Omega-3 in each pill. If you’re OK with taking 2-3 pills a day, that should be fine.
Hello I’m needing help with finding the best omega 3 supplement for my 9 year old son. He has a high cholesterol and triglycerides. I did some research and found that omega 3 would be beneficial for him. He is overweight and weighs 89 lbs therefore I’m having trouble finding an appropriate dosage. He is capable of swallowing pills or capsules. How much of the nature made pearls would benefit him?
Hi Janeth – your son may need Omega-3, but what he needs even more is less sugar, less juice, cookies, pasta, pizza, sweetened cereal. If a child of 9 has high triglycerides/cholesterol, it can only happen with a very high sugar/processed food diet or if there is a genetic condition. Sorry to be do blunt, but if you don’t fix his diet, high cholesterol will be just one of many future issues. Take a long, hard look at what the family is eating and how much the kids are running around playing outside in the sun. They need activity. Cut out video games.
Thanks for the reply Vin. You are right we are on a path to get him healthy, definitely starting with his diet and exercise. He doesn’t play video games. I appreciate your feedback and honesty. I am not a perfect parent and learning along the way. We do have a family history on his dad’s side of the family, where the males have struggled with high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. His grandfather and uncles have all needed open heart surgeries. I would like to prevent this from happening to my son. So all the help I can get I definitely appreciate. Thank you.
Hi Janeth – none of us are perfect parents. We do the best we can. And we are all learning along the way. This is sometimes tough to accept, but it applies to all of us. The fact that you are engaging in his health is the best sign.
I have a 10 year old girl, weight 67 lbs who has a bad bout of seborrheic dermatitis right now. I have read that fish oils/omega 3s could help with the inflammation that causes this. Any recommendations, she is a picky eater (no eggs, salmon occasionally)
Hi Melissa – I think the problem may be the ‘picky eater’ part. As parents, it is exhausting to deal with picky eaters. I know. Most of these skin conditions are largely driven by inflammation and inflammation is largely driven by diet. Giving a picky eater only foods that they will accept is a recipe for disaster. Start with eliminating sugar and processed foods and anything with flour. Feed her a whole foods only diet that consists of veggies, meats, seafood, eggs, fruits, and nuts, assuming she is not allergic to one or more of these things. Basically, feed her stuff that was alive and growing a week ago.
Yes, Omega-3, Curcumin, and probiotics may help, but you cannot outrun a poor diet with pills.
Hello! I have a 10 year old daughter who is suffering from horrible anxiety and sensory issues. What dosage of Omega 3, EPA and DHA should I be giving her? I also heard that Omega 3 may help her with reading – she has a tough time with reading. Thank you!
Hi Lisa – I assume your daughter is under medical care. If not, please get medical help. There are many causes for anxiety/sensory issues and low Omega-3 (due to overall poor diet quality) is only one of the causes. Supplementing with Omega-3 alone may not fix the problem, but is a good idea in general. I would aim for 1000 mg Omega-3 per day while cutting back sugar and processed foods, while increasing vegetable, fruit, nuts, eggs, seafood consumption. Start with fixing the diet – supplements come later. Magnesium and probiotics help too. Our sister company has a good kids’ probiotic: https://www.amazon.com/Chewable-PROBIOTIC-InnovixLabs-Spectrum-Probiotic/dp/B01DZ4DK68/
Hey! Thanks for this article! Super helpful! I find it so frustrating to try and find legit amount of proper Omegas AND enough mg. I had my eye on DoTerra’s IQ Mega for kids for a while, but at $50 a bottle, and 3 kids, I needed to see if there was a more cost effective route. After months of finding decent straight up oil on amazon at an amazing price, but with sour faces and Omega 3 oil battles every morning, I decided to try my luck on purchasing IQ on eBay, and found some for $25 shipped! Still way more than I would like to spend, but I’ve adjusted the budget elsewhere and fit it in. The kids say it tastes way better! However, they are used to a high standard of nasty lol, so they’re happy to drink it. It may still be a slow adjustment to people just starting out, or coming off of the gummies. It has 600mg EPA and 400mg DHA in one teaspoon full. Now, to stretch that bottle, I do cut the dose in half to be 500mg total for each child, and get more DHA in their bodies elsewhere in their diet. I figure in a few years they will all be taking the full pills like we do by the time their little bodies require more, so its something I’m willing to invest in short term.
Have you heard of a product called Vayarin? http://www.vayarin.com It’s a lipid product for ADHD and contains omega-3. What is your take on that product and its claims for a 10-year-old boy with ADHD?
Hi Robin – it is a good product. It’s a combination of EPA (Omega-3) that’s bound to Phosphatidyl serine (PS). PS is a nutrient found in fish and meat and to a small extent, in some beans. In other words, nothing you cannot get from eating fish, meat, and vegetables. Diet is always the first place to start for ADHD – cut out all sugar, juices, soda, and anything with flour (pizza, cookies, etc). Feed your child vegetables, eggs, fish, meats, fruits, and nuts (assuming there are no allergies to any of those). Feed him (exclusively) foods that were alive and growing a few days ago. Do this for a couple months. Work with a doctor and nutritionist, of course. Then there’s outdoor activity, Vitamin D status, sleep hygiene, exposure to screens/TV late at night etc. All needs to be tackled.
Yes, there will be kicking, screaming, tantrums, and threats of starvation.
Hello Vin,
What do you think about Brain Power Omega 3 for Kids ages 6 and 9. (lacto-ovo vegetarian)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PR7NXXC/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza
Is a single pill a little too much for their age?
Thanks for the article. It is very informative!
Hi Sandra – that product is not meant for kids to chew on. It will be simply too big. It is for adults to swallow. The amount of Omega-3 is not the issue as much as the size of the pill and the taste of the oil.
Hi Vin
When you say “Kids 4 to 6 need 200 mg per day”, I’m assuming you mean 200mg of combined DHA+EPA, right? Or does that refer to DHA alone?
Thanks!
Hi Balbir – combined EPA and DHA. A little more than 200 mg would be good too.
Hello vin i give my 9 year old 58 lbs daughter multivitamins and nordic dha 530 mg and nutra sea omega 3 520 mg all at once is that ok or is that too much.. i noticed the nordic dha has omega 3 in it…. please help
Hi Karina – that is OK. It is not too much.
Hi!
My 9 year old has been on vyvanse for a couple years now and it’s worked wonderfully for him at school, and it doesn’t take away from his personality (he’s not lethargic or zombie-fied). The problem lies here. His growing STOPPED. He eats wonderfully. But he cannot gain weight or height. I’m trying to find more natural ways for his ADHD rather then medication so he can’t still focus and his growing can get back on track. He’s 9 and 38lbs. I have to take into consideration my side of the family is small. We’re all short and skinny. But this is very dramatic to me. Stopped growing? 38lbs at 9? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I’m desperate…
Hi Jess – you need to talk to a really good doctor (or two or three!) to make sure you get to the bottom of what’s going on. I can’t speak to the side effect of the drug, but 38 lbs at 9 seems like it needs to be priority for addressing. For many kids, medications are necessary while you figure out what to change with diet and lifestyle. For most parents, making these changes are hard. Quitting pizza, cereals, soda, candy, sugar, and juice is hard. Switch to a whole-foods-only diet. Stuff that was alive and living last week. Stick exclusively to veggies, fruits, meat, seafood, eggs, and nuts. Then work on exercise and activity – kids need a LOT. Then work on sunlight exposure during the day and cutting off TV, games, and screen time after sunset. Then work on getting 10 hours of solid undisturbed sleep in a dark room with no lights (especially blue) at all. You can make these diet and lifestyle changes on your own or with a nutritionist. In many cases, doing this will prevent the need for medication. It may also fix the weight problem.
Awesome! I’ll start working on making those changes, thank you dearly!
Hi
I have been searching and searching to fine the best products for my three children. I truly appreciate your input and would like to know what is the right dosage for each of my children ages 2 1/2, 3 1/2, 10 1/2?
I asked our pediatrician but she didn’t feel comfortable in answering that question and wanted to refer us to a neurologist which I thought to be ridiculous.
Hi Star – there are no fixed doses, but generally speaking, 200 mg to 500 mg a day is fine for the two younger ones. 500 mg to 1000 mg will work well for the 10 year old.
Need a recommendation for an 8 year old that has difficulty concentrating/focusing. He clearly requires some diet changes – eats lots of fruits, some vegetables… most foods at home are organic and non-gmo, but doesn’t eat a ton of meat protein and probably too much bread (or bread like foods). He loves fish… so I will be incorporating more of that into his diet. Please recommend a suitable supplement! Should we do fish oil as well as omegas? b12 b6? magnesium? zinc? Thanks!!
We will also be getting a lot more outdoor exercise.
Hi Beth – I had a conversation with a mother of an 8-year-old just yesterday. She was convinced that her kid’s diet was good because she was avoiding chemicals and pesticides by eating organic and non-GMO. I told her that ‘organic and non-GMO’ means absolutely nothing because she was feeding her kid organic, non-GMO cereals, juices, and gluten-free pizza. Basically junk foods marketed to look like super healthy stuff. But your situation seems a lot better with the fish and veggies. Focus on diet and lifestyle. Diet: veggies, seafood, meats, eggs, fruits, and nuts. Other than nuts, everything else should have been alive last week. If it comes in a box or bottle or has a UPC code, it was not alive last week. Lifestyle: 10-11 hours of sleep with no TV or screen time after sunset. Focus on sleep quality and lots of outdoor play in the sun without sunscreen and/or shades. Yes, Omegas and magnesium will help, but not by themselves. Better to get zinc from meats, seafood, and seeds.
can you recommend a specific omega-3? coromega or nordic omega 3 fishies?
Hi Beth – try Nordic Omega Fishies. Three per day.
Hi Vin!!
Thanks for the info!! Did you test this one? Carlson For Kids?
I have three kids- a 3, 15 month old and 2 month old – would this be good for them?
http://www.carlsonlabs.com/p-333-babys-dha.aspx
http://www.carlsonlabs.com/p-241-carlson-for-kids-very-finest-fish-oil-orange-flavor.aspx
Hi Carolyn – I have not tested or tried it. But it looks good on paper. It is a flavored fish oil. If you are kids are willing to accept this product, then you are lucky. It’s an easy way to get a lot of Omega-3 into them quickly.
If I give my 4 year old son Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fishies, the serving size is 1 fishie but that only gives him 600 mg of Omegas. Should I give him 2 fishies/day? Thanks!
Hi Kim – if you are consistent, one a day is fine.
Hello Vin,
I love this post!
Question: I have a 4yo (approx. 29lbs) and a 6yo (approx. 39lbs). What would be your 1st pick on these two Omega3 by Nordic Naturals?
-The NORDIC NATURALS® NORDIC OMEGA-3 FISHIES or
-NORDIC NATURALS Children’s DHA Liquid.
I am leaning more towards the fishies. However, I am concerned if the 1 fish gel daily intake would be enough.
Total Omega3s 300 mg
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 150 mg
DHA (Docasahexaenoic Acid) 100 mg
Other Omega 3s 50 mg
…should I give them 2 a day? You mentioned in your response to Kim (dated April 12, 2017) that “one a day” is fine. But in a different response to Beth (dated March 27, 2017) you told her “Three per day” of the same product. Please clarify this for me.
Also, should my oldest son get a higher dose than his 4yo brother? Or is the recommended dose on the package fine?
ps….I am changing their diet, implementing salmon, Omega3 eggs, etc. This won’t be an easy task as my boys are extremely picking and have already voiced their dislike of egg. But I am up to the change, challenge and fight….(lol) Is boiled eggs ok?
Thanks a million!
Hi VEstien – definitely the Nordic fishies. Pass on their DHA liquid. One is enough if their diet is good. Two a day is fine too. As for why I recommended different doses to different requests – this is because of the background of each kid. If the kids have mood, attention, skin, allergies issues etc., I will suggest much higher doses. You know your kids and their diet and health issues. One is good. Two is fine too. Three may be needed in some cases like the above. You could simplify it and give one to the little one and two to the older kid.
You HAVE to find ways to get egg yolks, veggies, seafood, blueberries, liver (yes, liver!), and other healthy stuff into their diets. Helps if they see you eating it.
If it is of any consolation, my twins are now almost 7 and it is a fight every single day to get them to eat healthy stuff. They are naturally wired to eat crap. But it’s a fight that’s worth the hassle. I feel your pain. I really do.
Yes, boiled eggs are fine.
Hello Mr. Vin,
Hope all is good! I came across with your post and it was very helpful. Thank you! I have 9yro daughter shockingly she was diagnosed recently by her pedi doc and psychologist with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Combined Presentation-Severe, Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Disturbance of Emotions and Conduct, Developmental Coordination Disorder. I would never imagine that my only child would have something like this. I am a mother who looks into prescription drugs with negative thoughts and wouldn’t put my daughter into psychiatric drugs which will or might have negative affects later on in life. My daughter diet is OK, she’s not picky eater at all and I try to cook healthy meal everyday from the scratch. In the past we have tried many Omega-3 and different multivitamins but most of them are junk. Ive stopped giving her Omega-3 vitamins due to food she consumes everyday like proteins, seafood and lots of fruits and veggies. But now searching for good supplements for her and willing to try it and see if it is going to help her little bit. Please suggest me which Omega-3 is great and if any other vitamins might help her improve her conditions. I hope to hear back from you soon!
Thank you and God bless you!!!
based on questions-answer form which doctors go by.
Hi Leyla – as parents, it is very difficult for us to accept some medical diagnoses. Thoughts like ‘How could this be…?’ or ‘It can’t be true…’ come to mind. It is difficult.
But the good news is that there are many things you can do to REDUCE the symptoms significantly. You may not be able to completely eliminate the issues, but based on what you are saying, your child may need medications. Don’t dismiss what the doctor tells you.
In the meantime, start thinking about diet and lifestyle. You say ‘diet is OK,’ but that is unlikely. Find a dietitian locally and begin working with them. Yes, you say your daughter eats protein, seafood, and veggies. That’s great! But what else is she eating and drinking? I would start with COMPLETE elimination of any beverage with calories. Then eliminate anything with sugar. After that, eliminate anything with flour. Find out of your child is sensitive to gluten or dairy. Change the oil you cook with to olive, butter, or coconut. Do not use any of the other seed/vegetable oils. Give her only foods that were alive last week – veggies, fish, shrimp, meats, chicken, fruits.
As far as activity, lots and lots of play in the sun. At least an hour or two of vigorous play and activity outside every day. 10-11 hours of sleep. No TV or video games after dark. You need to be strict about this.
After you’ve done all this, then start thinking about supplements. The Nordic Natural product I mention above is a good one. Try natural calm magnesium.
I just stumbled across your article to learn more about DHA supplements for my 2 and 4 year old. I was thinking to start off by purchasing the Nordic Fishes you highly recommended. Or would it be better to start off with actual fish oil liquid?
Hi Hannah – start with the Nordic Fishies. You may want to give the liquid fish oil a try, but most of them are not palatable. They think they are getting candy. And that’s just fine.
Hi,
I’ve read your post with interest. I hadn’t thought about omega 3 supplements for my children until a friend recommended them. My children are 4 and 2 x 22 months old (twin boys). I’m planning on staring on the nordic fishies (assuming that’s still the preferred choice – I can’t find anything better!)? Any reason why i shouldn’t give them to the 22 month olds if I break them into two. Don’t want to create a choking hazard but all 3 boys seem to eat up anything if they’re all getting the same!
Your diet comments are really interesting too – definitely going to revisit what we’re all eating! Thankfully I’m a big believer in active outside play so have that box ticked already! 😊
Many thanks.
Hi Sarah – a four year old and twin 22-month olds?! OMG! I don’t even want to imagine what that’s like. Our twins at 22 months were difficult.
Yes, Nordic fishies is still the preferred choice as of now…until we make something better than that. 🙂 The twins should be fine with it. You can tear it in half if that helps chewing and swallowing. But your fingers will get real oily. That’s what I gave to my twins when they were that age.
Good luck! It gets easier.
Thank you for this helpful and informative post! I have familial hypercholesterolemia, so my 10-year-old has been prescribed fish oil supplements. So far I tried giving him BioGlan Kids Smart Hi DHA Omega-3 Fish Oil, Chewable Burstlets and Barlean’s Omega Swirl Fish Oil Lemon Zest. He says the first one tastes terrible, while he loves the second one.
Problem is that the second one does not clearly mention the EPA and DHA contents on its label.
He is also getting some of his skin rashes back while getting the second one. Those were completely gone with the first product.
My son also gets frequent nosebleeds and I have seen the frequency has gone up (almost daily) significantly while he is on the second product.
What are your suggestions?
Thanks again for doing this!
Hi Pratik – two teaspoons of the Barleans has 440 mg EPA and 280 mg DHA. You may want to call Barleans for their comments or suggestions. Or you can switch to one of the other items reviewed here.
Hi,
My boy is 11yrs old with some problems in concentration, can I give him the 21st century omega 3, 1000mg one tablet a day or it is too high for him?
Thanks
HI Marianne – yes, you can give you the product…but whether he can swallow it is not as much of an issue as the amount of Omega-3. Aim for 1000 mg of Omega-3 per day, not 1000 mg of oil. Also, Omega-3 alone will not fix concentration problems – you will need to work on diet, lifestyle, sun exposure, sleep, exposure to TV/screen, etc. to properly address the issue. Expecting Omega-3 to do all that, is setting yourself up for disappointment.
Hi…Good day! What can you suggest for a 2 1\2 year old baby girl..She doesn’t eat a lot…I mean she just eats 4-5 spoons of rice. She rarely eat vegetables. She just likes fish and rice. Her vitamins are growee and ceelin. Do I need to stop these and change into natural? What can I buy as her food supplement and for her to grow smart?thanks and hope for your immediate reply so I can purchase soon.
Hi Rochelle – a diet composed mostly of fish and rice is going to be short of several nutrients. See if you can switch out rice for root starches and tubers, as they have far more nutrients than rice. I know it is a struggle, but you have to start her on veggies. If she eats seafood, then she probably doesn’t need extra Omega-3. I am not familiar with the brands you mention, as they are not found in the US.
Hi Vin,
What are your thoughts on Ironkids Essentials Gummies Omega 3 for a 8 years old boy that does not like fish or seafood? Thanks
Hi Yen – in a word, junk!
There is is a lot of sugar and very little Omega-3 in this product.
Smarty pants vitamins has worked really well for my 6 year old who was recently diagnosed with ADHD. Fewer behavior problems and he’s doing much better in school.
I’ve just started my 6 year old on a probiotic and omega 3 regiment. I’m curious to know what you think of the Nordic Naturals omega focus jr?
Hi Amber – it is a good product. But you need 4 pills a day. Not sure how many 6 year olds will sign up for that. Also, if focus is an issue, make sure that your child gets a LOT OF mid-day sun exposure. As I write this, it is October and summer is over. You may still have a few days left to get fully exposed to the sun WITHOUT ANY SUNSCREEN. Kids need Vitamin D3 from the sun. You will need to supplement in the winter. Virtually all kids with attention/focus issues can benefit from direct sun exposure. Talk to your pediatrician about how to proceed in the winter time with sun is weak.
Hi, I’m so confused, I read your reviews and answers to the other questions. My son is 10 years old, has ADHD-INNATENTIVE – I’m in process of changing his diet and habits, but also want to supplement him with Omega 3 for his immune system (no more flu shots will be given due to Guillame-Barre background in my family). I am so confused as to which one is best for overall health, assistance w/focus issues, and immune strengthening. Which would be best for him? He CAN swallow pills, although the smaller the better, but I want to give him 1000 daily. Also, do I need to get the B vitamins and magnesium for him? Please hlep me with which brand/dose etc I should get. I don’t like artificial sweeteners either.
Hi Lizabeth – I still think a product like the Nordic Natural fishies is best. You can give him two or three if you like. Most kids need B vitamins and magnesium as well, but it’s always best from foods. MegaFoods has a B vitamin for kids that’s fairly inoffensive. There are several chewable magnesium tablet, but you’ll have to try a few to see which one suits you. For immunity, try probiotics, including Culturelle.
Hi Vin, I have enjoyed reading your reviews. Is this Omega 3 supplement too high of a dose to give to a 9 and 11 year old (both with ADHD/mood issues)?
https://www.amazon.com/Triple-Strength-OMEGA-3-by-InnovixLabs-Concentrated-Fish-Oil-900-mg-Omega-3-per-Pill-Enteric-Co/dp/B00FM9KNSI/ref=dp_csx_sw_pr_2?th=1
Hi Julie – this product is made by our sister company, InnovixLabs. The dosage of Omega-3 in the pills (900 mg per pill) will be fine, but they are not chewable because they have a hard enteric coating on them. It is meant for adults to swallow with water. I’m sure I’ve repeated this several times in the comments above, but getting really strict on eliminating sugar, flour, junk foods, while dramatically increasing vegetables, seafood, sun exposure, outdoor plan, probiotics, prebiotic fiber, putting away the iPad after sunset, getting 10 hours of sleep with NO SCREEN TIME AFTER DARK, are all important for addressing mood and attention issues. And yes, 1000 mg of Omega-3, magnesium, Vitamin D, etc are important too. But diet and lifestyle comes first. You cannot outrun diet and lifestyle issues with supplements and meds…and that’s coming from ME! 🙂
Which Omega product do you recommend for ADHD kids? There was no link in the comment. Is it the Nordic Natural Fishies?
Hi Julie – as of now, the Nordic Natural Fishies is a better source of Omegas than the others reviewed here. https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Naturals-Omega-3-Supports-Function/dp/B0093ABMOQ
Hello ! Thank U for this information… I give my kids 6&7 years almos an raw egg every day … I really need to understand more about DHA and combined vitamins… one extra fish can cover all vitamins daily requirements ? The 6 is a energetic boy but pick eater… he have some allergies (in d morning) he is 85 % above taller but his Teeth are weak … the 7 is very heavy bone structure and I look her in d “space ” some times I also look her like her body have some inflamación she like salad veggies and meats… I give her probiotics and chamomile t cuz her poor slow digestion …she is 75% above from de average on weight and height she accumulate fat in her belly;(
Both make every day physical activity…
Im “running ” from vitamins to other vitamins and probiotics-b12-vitamin D -calcium … please help me with your advise …
Thank U in advance
Hi Alicia – cooked eggs are fine too. No need for raw eggs.
No, one extra fish cannot cover all your daily vitamin needs. You need a variety of vegetables, roots, fruits, eggs, seafood, meats, etc. to meet your daily needs. Start with a good diet and fill in the gaps with supplements.
Hello, my daughter is 12 (110lbs) and suffering from depression. My son is 17 (135lbs) and suffering from anxiety. I’m very reluctant to start prescription medication. I bought the Nordic natural dha liquid for up to 6 yro because both won’t swallow. Ive been doubling the dose to 1 teaspoon. Is this a good amount to help address these issue. Feeling very desperate but hopeful to find help for my kids.
Hi Monique – your kids are probably no longer Omega-3 deficient at that dose. EPA Omega-3 is more effective for mood related issues, not DHA. However you may wish to read this article for additional suggestions: https://omegavia.com/supplements-for-depression-anxiety/
I have to say this: you cannot address the root cause of mood issues with supplements or drugs. That requires a dramatic change in diet (sugar-free, grain-free, flour-free whole foods). Along with exercise (lots of physical activity, preferably in the sun), lifestyle changes (strict sleep discipline, no screen time 2 hours before bed, lots of sun exposure and outdoor activity), and possible professional help. Start with consulting a dietitian about going on an anti-inflammatory whole foods diet, possibly something like a high-veggie paleo diet.
hello..my boy is 8 years and the omega 3 is highly recommended for him and eh has a visual problems and through a vision therapy course now..so to speed up the process for him he needs it urgent but really i cannot define which type is the best for him at this stage can you recommend a type for his case pls so i can get it ? appreciate your reply
Hi Rasha – if you have all of these products available, then go with the Nordic Naturals item that I chose as best of this bunch. If not, any source of Omega-3 will do.
I’m looking for the best Omega-3 for my baby. I’ve been giving him “California Gold Nutrition Baby DHA 1050 mg Omega-3 + Vit D3”, can you tell me if this is a great option? You highlighted Nordic for Infants, but didn’t actually mention the quality. The California Gold has a fishy smell, but it isn’t rancid, and my 7 mo has no issues taking it in his homemade food purée.
Hi D’Etta – this is an OK product. I like Nordic Naturals more. However, this product has Vitamins A and D3, which are both important and often low in diets. So if your child accepts it, then stay with it.
Hi Vin,
What product would you recommend for my 6yr old and 10yr old? They both have trouble staying on task, don’t currently have fish in their diet (though looking to change that so need suggested type of fish that doesn’t taste too fishy but is good omega source). 10yr old has been diagnosed mild ADHD, she also has high triglycerides and cholesterol, which seems to be hereditary. They don’t eat a lot of “crap” though there is room for improvement in their diets and we’re working on that.
I’d like to give them an omega 3 supplement of 1000mg in as few tablets as possible. They won’t take liquid form and have recently been able to swallow small pills. I had been giving them the bioglan fish which they were okay with the taste of but can’t find them in stock and learned they aren’t as high of a dose as they should probably be getting anyways. Can you please recommend a supplement that has the 1000mg dose that a 6 & 10yr old would likely be able to swallow or chew without horrible taste/aftertaste/burps? Thank you so much.
Hi Elissa – I like the Nordic Naturals product outlined in the article above. If they don’t eat fish, they should definitely get some Omega-3.
However, the notion that Omega-3 supplements alone will fix attention issues and ADHD is wrong.
A permanent fix may involve medications, but if you choose not to go the pharma route, then a complete and drastic re-think of EVERYTHING they consume will be needed. If they both have trouble staying on task and one of them has been diagnosed with ADHD, then without a doubt, you need to see a certified dietitian and an integrative medicine MD to address the root cause…which is diet/nutrition, exercise, sleep, sun exposure, nature exposure, outdoor play, etc. The 6 year old needs almost 12 hours of sleep and the 10 year old, almost as much. It needs to be a dark, cool room with NO TV, no blue lights, and no TV or screens 2 hours before bedtime. But 90% of your work will have to start with food – you’ll have to cut out sodas, juice boxes, juices, packaged cereals, and virtually everything with flour. Replace all that with veggies, seafood, tubers, root vegetables, meats, poultry, and some fruits and nuts. If it was alive and growing last week, they should eat it. If it was in a box or in a factory, don’t give it to them.
After you’ve done all that, THEN you can start thinking about supplements – Omega-3, magnesium, D3, choline, zinc etc. I strongly recommend you work with a qualified dietitian to get through this.
Thank you for the reply Vin. Are you referring to the Nordic naturals fishies? I’m looking for something with a 1000mg dha strength, with epa being higher than dha. Any recommendation for a smallish pill or chewable for kids with that dose? I’d rather them not have to take 3 of something to make up that dose if possible. Thank you again.
Hi Elissa – yes, I’m referring to Nordic Fishies. You can take 2-3 of those without issues. If they can chew softgels, then their selection is wide open. There are no pills I know of with 1000 mg DHA per pill. You will have to take multiple pills to get that much DHA.
Hi Vin,
Thank you again for your reply. Yes they can chew soft gels, as they had been taking the bioglan fish and were okay with the flavor. Is there a chewable soft gel out there that has 1000mg per soft gel?
Hi Elissa – there is no chewable softgel with 1000 mg DHA. But there are a few good ones with 1000 mg Omega-3 total. The best places to look for good fish oil are IFOS Consumer Report and Labdoor.com. You can also look at ConsumerLab.com
Hi Vin,
The smaller swallowable pills didn’t go over on the kids yet, as they were still a bit too big for them to swallow. I had purchased a pharmaceutical grade one that someone mentioned above. Can you please recommend some chewables with 1000mg omega 3 total? Thank you so much.
Hi Elissa – there is not kid’s chewable with 1000 mg Omega-3. Any chewable softgel pill that contains 1000 mg Omega-3 will be HUGE and a choking hazard for kids. So, if you want 1000 mg Omega-3 daily, you can either give your kids 3 to 4 of the Nordic fishies or several smaller chewable softgels.
Ok thank you. I must have misunderstood your comment from Jan 19th. Thank you for your help.
Hi Vin,
Great list of Omega 3’s….thanks for putting this together!
My apologies if this was already asked (I read through some comments and questions but did not get through all)…..in the last month my 26 month old son started exhibiting tics. I have read that fish oil supplements may help. Any thoughts on this and/or recommendations on supplementing?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Jennifer – I’d be overselling Omega-3s if I told you that it could help with tics. It may help, but I have not seen compelling science on this. My initial reaction is to suggest a full dietary review. He may be sensitive to some foods and he may be deficient in some nutrients. This is not a DIY thing – you will need professional help. There is likely a gut microbiome component (this is a huge factor in most issues), and possibly issues with methylation and/or detox. All of this requires an Integrative Medicine MD to be involved. A friend of ours went through this issue recently and in that child’s case, there were multiple issues diagnosed: mercury toxicity because the child was unable to naturally detoxify, there was severe gut microbiome dysbiosis, and leaky gut. I’m not saying your case is the same, but just pointing out that diagnosis and treatment will most likely require professional help. Supplementation may help, but it needs to come AFTER the primary diagnoses and nutritional/medical therapies.
Vin,
Thank you so much for your time, honesty and response!! Thank you for sharing your friend’s experience as well….the various things that you mentioned are very much in-line with what I have been wondering about and considering as possible causes, especially based on my son’s history and various things I can think of leading up to the tics. As it turns out, (along with meeting with our pediatrician), I have also booked an appointment with a homeopathic specialist. I am holding out hope we can get to the bottom of this and resolve the tics.
Just curious, if you are at liberty to share, how long did your friend’s child take to heal/recover from the tics?
Hi Jennifer – our friend’s child is stil recovering. The diagnosis was recent. I expect it to take a while – at least a year. After all, it took a while to get here.
I’d strongly encourage you to find an Integrative Medicine MD. It’s a slightly different approach, but the process is typically a methodical digging for root cause.
Hi Vin,
I wish your friends all the best in their child’s recovery and hope they are on the right track towards getting things resolved. I know how stressful and worrisome this can be and send my sympathies and positive thoughts. Thank you again for your advice….I agree with you and also am hoping to get to the root cause of the tics. I am glad for the diagnosis that it is nothing serious but finding it very hard to “just ignore it” and let it run its course. I am really hoping our homeopath will help with getting this figured out and onto the right path for healing. (Is an Integrative MD much different than a homeopath or naturopath and I wonder how I would go about finding a reputable Integrative MD if needed?)
Thanks again….your words and advice have been very helpful and I really appreciate it!
Hi Jennifer – a quick Google search will net you a few Integrative Medicine MDs. They are NOT the same as homeopaths. I strongly recommend it.
Apart from a diet rich in butter, eggs, salmon etc. I give my one and two year olds a bottle each to settle them at bedtime (ignoring dentists advice I’m afraid!). In it I put 9oz of oatmilk, 2.5ml of Eskimo fish oil (370mg EPA and 230mg DHA and a spoon of organic agave or raw honey (also 1000iu of D3 liquid in winter, some K2 and magnesium). They drink it down no problem. In fact I can put pretty much any supplement or medication they need in their bottles in liquid or powder form (I split open any capsule and empty the powder in) as long as there is enough agave or honey to mask it.
Food wise they will eat any meat, fish or chicken especially if chopped and mixed with peas, sweetcorn, brown rice/quinoa.
Hi Laura-Jean – blending supplements or nutrients into a sweetened beverage is generally a good idea for kids. It’s great that you have fats and protein covered. I’d suggest taking on expanding (dramatically) the variety of vegetables in their diet as the next challenge.
However, the night time consumption of sugar (Agave and raw honey are sugar) will backfire in unpleasant ways – with both dental and metabolic consequences.
Hi Vin,
Loved reading your replies to all questions. My 5 year old is non verbal and has been diagnosed with ASD. I am planning to start Omega 3 and DHA supplements for him as he’s on a vegetarian diet. The problem is he’s not into candies, chocolates, smoothies, juices, milk etc, so the gummies will not work for him. Can you suggest something which is a liquid and does not a fishy taste which I can give directly.
Hi Sirisha – that he is not into candies and gummies is not a problem! It’s a good thing. All liquid Omegas that I’ve tasted have some fishy taste to them. I still suggest you try the Nordic Naturals item. Even though he is vegetarian, I assume you give him eggs. If not, you need to. Also, consider less (or no) wheat and replace grains with root and other vegetables. Omega-s are good, but you need to be thinking about Vitamin D3, Probiotics, and prebiotic fiber.
Hi! Can’t thank you enough for your guide above.
I’ve been a fan of the Kids Nutreasea Omega3. Serving size is 5ml. (EPA – 320mg, DHA – 200mg GLA – 50mg, D3- 500IU)
H/ever my son has starting gagging on this and need a chewable. If I took 2 servings ( 2 fishes), would that be ok of the Nordic Omega 3 to make up for the EPA and DHA of the Nutreasea?
My son is 8( has focus issues) and 5 yr girl!
Looking fwd to your opinion.
Thanks, Fareen!
Hi Fareen – yes, two Nordic fishies will be fine.
Hi, when I was preguntar I was very interested in making sure I built a genius lol so I took DHA through out my pregnancy. After baby was born I wanted to give her everything with DHA I did find this product that’s a supplement called Vkids from omnilife which I heard many, many testimonies of people who their kids are 2 months advance than any kids out there.
Sarah is now 8 months, I breastfeed her till 6 month and gave her Vkids since newborn. She learn how to snap fingers ( obviously with the sound) at 4 months, ittsy bitsy spider song ( with hands) at 4 months, count with fingers from 1-5 5 months, read by pointing at things 6 months, dances and copies my steps 7 months, she now knows how to read. De stays she’s 2-3 monarchs ahead.
Hi Vin,
I have been giving Nutrasea omega3 + vit d to my 1 and 4 year old. It says adult take 1 tsb/day and kids age 1-14 take 1/2 tsp /day.
My question is, can I give my kids Nordic’s regular omega3? Nordic doesn’t say it is for kids but if Nutrasea was okay for kids why not Nordic too? Even the potency is similar (Nutrasea – 4500mg fish oil (750epa; 500dha); Nordic- 5000mg fish oil (750epa; 550dha and 300mg other omega3)
So the only real difference I see is Nutrasea has green tea extract while Nordic has rosemary extract. Does it mean the first was okay for kids the second is not?
Since potency is same I would like to give them the same dosage Nutrasea suggested.
One more thing; how do I know for sure if they gone rancid and if it wouldn’t be noticed and consumed, is that harmful?
Many thanks! I like you blog
Nora
Hi Nora – it may be OK, but please call Nordic Naturals customer service. The potency is similar, so it makes sense that is fine. But just confirm.
Your nose/tastebuds are the BEST detectors for rancidity. If it is stinky, return the item. Or you can ask Nordic if they will share a certificate of analysis and you can compare that to good oils tesdted by IFOS Consumer Report.
Thank you Vin.
I called them they confirmed that my kids can take it in same dose as Nutrasea. Rosemary is fine they have it in one of their products for kids too.
Thank you for you help:)
I have a 12 years old daughter, she is 85 pounds and 5’6, she has concentration problems and attention deficit, what would you recommend? omegavia or omegavia DHA 600?
Hi Francisco – you’re asking the wrong question. If she has concentration and attention issues, the first thing you need to do is take her to an Integrative Medicine MD. Then, you need to go through the uncomfortable process of dramatically changing diet, activity, and lifestyle. After you’ve done all that, you could take a look at supplements – EPA 500 is probably better.
Hi Vin,
Thank you very much for writing about the research you did on these brands. My daughter is 4 year old and we eat vegetarian diet primarily. She eats fish sometimes and definitely not 2-3 times a week. Same with eggs. So I’m looking to supplement with Omega 3. Recently we went to her vision test, although the vision test did not finish completely (due to some issues with the chart board), I felt she was stuck at the last 2 lines. Which prompted me to look at help for vision improvement.
Do you know if Omega 3 supplement will help with her vision if any? Could you please suggest anything else that would improve vision in kids.
Hi Jay – for kids’ vision, lots of colorful vegetables, fish, eggs, mostly outdoor play with minimal screen time. Focus on diet. A ‘vegetarian diet’ could be really bad if it is mostly grain-based…and excellent if it is mostly vegetable-based. Eat stuff that was alive and growing last week, with nuts being the exception. Do not chase this issue with supplements.
Thank you very much Vin, for your quick reply. I don’t know how to appreciate. Inspired by your article I gave my daughter Carlson Cod Liver Oil, Norwegian, Lemon (contains Vit A and D) She took 5ml and asked for more. Do you think this is a good brand for my 4yr old? My husband too started taking it. Since I’m pregnant at the moment I will check with my OB during my next appointment and start taking it per her advice.
Hi Jay – yes, Carlson is a good brand.
Hi,
I have tried some different brands of fish oil; however, every time I have to buy a new bottle I always struggle with how much I need to give to my daughter.
The latest one is from Barleans which has EPA 440 mg and DHA 280 mg. Now I am struggling after I read that I should have given my 6 years old about 1000 mg of the EPA+DHA. I am looking into Carlson, but it does not say for kids. It has EPA 800 mg and DHA 500 mg. Should I go ahead and give it a go? What do you think?
P.S. Right now I have another bottle staring at me! It recommened 2 softgels a day but the EPA and DHA together have just 550 mg. Should I give her 4 gels?
Thank you so much!
Aunchalee
Hi Aunchalee – you are over-thinking this. Your child will be fine with 500 mg per day. A little more is fine. And a little less is fine. If you skip a day, that’s fine too. It’s far more important for kids to avoid sugar, eat more vegetables, and play in the sun and dirt.
A health screening at my son’s preschool revealed his Total cholesterol as 139, HDL at 29, LDL at 96, Triglycerides at 70. This was shocking to me! Help me get that HDL up, please. I seriously feed him better than any of his peers. He’s the kid with chicken breast and broccoli and carrots in his lunch nag while his friends are eating “Lunchables.” And exercise is not an issue. He is very active. 37 pounds not overweight at all. Please give me your in-put on supplements you would recommend. I read the above article and am not clear how you concluded that the Nordic Fishies were better than the Coromega squeeze? I see they both have less-than-desirable ingredients. I appreciate any input you can offer. Thank you.
Hi HJ – first, I don’t see anything ‘shocking’ about the results, perhaps the numbers could be improved a bit, but that’s just my opinion. Yes, higher HDL is considered desirable. Higher amounts of healthy fats and activity are the best solution for improving this with a dietary approach. If your child is low in Omegas, yes, supplements may help. But the areas I’d start with are diet and activity. There is always room for improvement there. Also, if it’ll make you feel more comfortable, I suggest visiting with an Integrative Medicine MD to review the numbers and hep put you at ease.
I like Nordic Fishies because of its high Omega-3 level and kid-friendly delivery form. Coromaga is good too, if your kid accepts the squeeze form it comes in.
Reviewed all the comments and my own research and its helped me with what to buy for my 3.5 year old picky eater. Nordic naturals liquid DHA – I will try this first as it is a strawberry flavour which he might be into. There is no added sugar which I like, but he may not like that.. Its a gamble..
Otherwise I will try the nordic naturals fishies as they look like the best chewable ive seen!
The nutrasea is what i take and they have a chocolate version they say is ok for kids and he probably would love the taste – but the dosage for kids would give him way more than what you say is needed – plus I am still nursing (you heard that right) so I think maybe I can give this one to him when he’s older.
Is there an official recommendation for how much fish oil is needed for different ages? I know the canadian govt (or US perhaps) has this for vitamins and minerals but haven’t seen it for fish oil..
Wondering your opinion on genestra – even my naturopath gives her daughter the DHA from them but I am not a fan of genestra (doesn’t help that they are now owned by Nestle) – they always seem to have additives that shouldn’t be necessary. Based on your comment above, I shouldn’t worry about the fish oil source (tuna) since mercury shouldn’t be in fish oil but I cannot recall if Genestra is third party tested.. probably.. however I bet you would say the DHA is too high for him.
Hi Melissa – there isn’t a US government mandated dosage for kids of different ages. If you think the Nutrasea item will give him more Omegas than he needs, skip a day or two. There is no need to provide Omega-3 on a daily basis. A larger-than-usual dose occasionally can be balanced with nothing dosed for a couple of days. No big deal. Omegas are desperately needed nutrients, so the body hangs onto every bit of it.
The Genestra DHA item looks OK. I dont think the DHA is too high. It’s got a lot of ‘gunk’ like corn start, fructose, gums, and preservatives. But other than that, it may be a way to get some Omegas into a kid. ‘Gunk’ usually makes things taste good – that’s why it’s added.
Hi
In the past month my 8 year old son has developed a tic disorder.(eye rolling and head tilting) . This is very heartbreaking to watch. He is very athletic. He is playing hockey and skiing now. It has been come very difficult for him due to the movements to focus I came across this site and started giving him supplements of omega 3 and magnesium. He has seen the dr requarding this . They did not give me any answers or guideance. I am also going to get a referral to a nutritionist .
I also came across a site which stated that pine bark is very good for the brain?
Do you have any advice to stear me in the right direction.
Thanks
Hi Tammy – I can imagine how difficult this must be for you. Get your kid tested for heavy metal toxin exposure, especially mercury. You need to work with an integrative medicine MD. Traditional medical channels may not get to the root cause of this. In the meantime, I strongly suggest moving to a whole foods (paleo type diet) that is high in vegetables and virtually free of sugar, processed foods, gluten, and other potential allergens. May be worth getting a food sensitivity test done as well.
Hello, I’m currently giving my 3 and half year old 10ml of a multivitamin that also has omega 3. It’s orange flavour and very sweet. She eats fruit and eggs but is reluctant to eat vegetables.
I want to start giving my 1 year old son omega 3 also but can’t seem to find a multivitamin plus omega 3 for his age. His diet is varied and so far he isn’t fussy. Is there a product that would suit them both?
Hi Janet – the best way to get more Omega-3 into them is to give them salmon and Omega-3 rich egg yolks. It is no shock that your 3 yo is refusing veggies. It’s in their nature.
My kids were that way about fruits at age 5. So I decided to offer them a different fruit every day. Every single day. The idea was to rotate about a dozen fruits, with a separate one each day…and shock their cute little minds with all the variety. Of course, they refused and stared at it. It is critical that they see you eating it and it is a good idea to let them refuse. It took a couple of months and lot of waste, but they finally started eating. Three years on, they eat most of those fruits with each kid harboring a pet peeve. One wont touch raspberries and the other orange. Fine. But I think you get the idea.
As for supplements, I am inherently skeptical of kids multivitamins with Omegas. I have no idea what you’re giving them, but I am almost certain that they are not getting enough Omega-3s. And likely an odd ratio or incomplete of vitamins and minerals.
I have a friend who is looking for a vegetarian omega 3 supplement for her toddlers. She uses a Nordic naturals algae version and says she can not afford to give them to her kids daily, wants to know if she can get the same benefits if she gives them supplements a couple times a week? She lives in a developing country where fortified foods are not available. They do eat eggs and dairy. Advice?
Hi C – yes, taking the vegan Omega-3 from Nordic Naturals a few times a week is fine. If you cannot afford it daily, every other day will provide benefits too.
Hi Vin,
Thank you for so detailed reviews on kids omega3 products. It is very helpful to find good product over so many options available.
My 7yr old son has attention issues and I’ m giving him Brain booster Omega-3 liquid from Neba Health. It has EPA to DHA ratio of 2:1 which is helpful for improving attention as understood from webinars in ADDITUDE forum. Also, I’m giving him multivitamin from Nutrilite (Amway Nutrilite product).
He has good food habits, eats organic eggs (will shift to omega 3 eggs after your review), oats, milk, etc.. and I don’t give him sugary foods much.
It would be helpful if you provide your review on both of the products.
https://shop.nebahealth.com/collections/frontpage/products/neba-health-omega-3-concentrated-epa-dha
https://www.ebay.com/i/172525930802?chn=ps&var=471379747668
Thanks,
Madhu
Hi Madhu – the Neba Health Omega-3 is OK. It is not concentrated, but delivers an adequate amount of Omega-3 per teaspoon. There are a lot of preservatives, sweeteners, and emulsifiers and such to increase palatability. If your kid can handle the taste, then I’d stay with it.
Hi Vin, could you suggest how many Nordic Omega-3 Fishies should I give a 5 year old boy and a 9 year old boy? They have a good diet during the week but on the weekend they also eat candies, chocolate, cake, ice cream, pizza, etc. 🙁
Also, I read your preferred oils for cooking are coconut (expeller pressed or cold pressed), olive and butter. What do you think about avocado oil? Is it a good option for cooking kid’s food?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Flavia – 2 or 3 fisies should be fine for kids that age. I like avocado oil.
Hi! I have a question about the recommended amounts… for ages 1-3, it says up to 700.
My toddler likes to eat my Nordic Naturals prenatal Omega-3+DHA but a full serving for me is 2 capsules & 800mg of Omega-3. So should I only let him have one then so it’s not going over the 700 recommendation? I should also note that we eat salmon and eggs frequently. Thanks! Great info!
-Shelby
Hi Shelby – if your toddler is eating your prenatal Omega-3, then you don’t need anything else in addition.
Hi! what’s your favorite vegan/ vegetarian Omega 3 for a 8 year old with attention disorder?
Thank you so much!
Amy
Hi Amy – I don’t have a favorite vegan Omega-3 for kids. The selection of REALLY GOOD kids Omega-3 are very limited. There are only 2 or 3 kids Omega3 that are impressive, even with fish source. So, when you add the vegan requirement, the number quickly drops to zero. There are algae-based DHA capsules that your child may be able to swallow. I would NOT bite into algae-DHA capsules, as they taste awful.
Kids with attention issues need a LOT of focus on diet and lifestyle. Going vegan with a kid with attention issues makes it harder (not impossible) to meet dietary requirements easily. Brain-friendly nutrients like DHA, choline, and B12 tend to be deficient in vegan diets. Make sure you are covered on zinc – legumes, seeds, and nuts are your best bets.
Hello,
What omega3 supplement and vitamins will you recommend for a 4 year old who is super, super picky eater (he eats grilled smoke salmon only from Silverado) I give it to him once a week, he eats scrambled eggs once a week. He will have horizon milk on pancakes or with cereal 2 times a week. I do naked juice diluted with water he drinks 1 450 ml bottle in 1 1/2 days. He does not eat any vegetable. I been giving him smarty pants complete organic and the probiotics one, he has concentration and attention difficulties and looking for better higher dose option of omega3 and vitamins that have calcium and magnesium, he is 41 pounds. What would you recommend.
Thank you!
Hi Alexia – oh boy. Picky eaters. That’s hard. I have one of those…she looks at the food and looks at me. Just like when I gave broccoli to our dog as a joke. However, your kids sounds more challenging to feed. Here’s the bad news: without vegetables, fruits, nuts, tubers, eggs, seafood, and yes, even red meat, sooner or later you will run into health issues caused by poor diet and lifestyle. From the attention and concentration issues you mention, you may already be there. The real bad news is that it will only get worse. Sorry.
There are a couple of ways to handle this: first is repeated exposure.
A child has to taste or experience the offending food almost a dozen times before their brains will start to register it as acceptable food. If you quit after 3 or 4 or even 10 times, your kid will continue to avoid the food. It is work. If you have the time to read the several hundred comments here, you will read how I used repeated exposure to get my kids to eat fruits. I started on January 1st and began giving the a very small amount of a different fruit every day. Every single day. They just stared at it until the end of February. Didn’t even bother touching it. I’d encourage them to eat it, but they would not. By the end of April, they had started eating small bits of SOME fruits, but not all. By the end of May or early June, they were eating small amounts of all fruits. Remember, that was 180 days of me cutting up a different fruit each and every day. Just enough to make them think it is food. Of course, they had to see me eating the food that I’d served them. The same thing goes for vegetables.
This is one way to do it.
The second approach is tough love. Give them the food you want them to eat. Start with more likeable stuff like peas and carrots instead of broccoli or kale. If they don’t eat it, without any anger or frustration (practice in your head), say ‘Fine, come back when you are hungry. It’ll be right here waiting for you.’ This requires you to be tough. If they adamantly say no, are you prepared to let them go to bed hungry or are you more likely to cave and give them something they want to eat? This method is fast and effective, but you might feel guilty.
Both of these approaches work. Which one you pick depends on you.
Notice I didn’t tell you which brand of supplements to give your kid. You can never chase a poor diet with supplements. I own two dietary supplement companies, but I am a nutritionist first and if I’m telling you this, you may want to listen.
BTW, Naked juice isn’t fruits or vegetables. Smarty Pants has sugar and inadequate amount of nutrients. Increase the frequency of eggs and salmon. Cut back in sugar and anything with flour.
Thank you for the advise, he is really difficult, he eats fruits (apples, bananas, watermelon, oranges, mandarins and strawberries) from the nuts only cashews, he will eat dry cranberries sometimes and granola.
He doesn’t even like blueberry muffins or mac and cheese, but he will eat chicken scampi from Olive Garden he moves the pepers and onions aside.
The sad part is that when he was starting to eat he will eat everything that I put in front of him, broccoli he will eat it like candy and then in a mater of a week or 2 when he was almost 1.5 years old he stoped eating.
I will keep pushing the veggies on him. I just do not know what else to do to help him.
Hello,
Greetings.
We are Vegetarians and I would like to give Omega-3 to my child, 10 years old. I am from Canada, and I don’t see any Vegan Omega-3 for kids. I found an Vegan Omega-3 from Nature’s Science brand but it says in it’s dosage its only for adults, while the ingredients are well within the safe limits for kids. Is it safe to give to 10 yr old boy ? Kindly advise.
Ingredients:
Algal oil – 220 mg
Omega-3 110mg
30% DHA 66mg
15% EPA 33mg
Flaxseed oil 345 mg
ALA 172 mg
Hi Manoj – your know your child better than anyone. If he can swallow the pill without difficulty, then, by all means, give him the pills. Most vegetarians are very deficient in Omega-3s, especially DHA. Having said that, 110 mg of Omega-3 per day is barely sufficient to prevent deficiency…but that’s usually as good as it gets for vegetarian or algae oil supplements.
I love this post and thread of comments. I am looking into something easy to swallow for my 6 and 10-year olds and came across this. It is not specifically for kids and I wanted to know if you think the dosage would be okay for them.
Omega 3 Supreme Strength 1400 mg – High EPA DHA Fish Oil
Pure Fish Oil Concentrate – 1400mg
Total Omega 3 – 1050mg
EPA -644mg
DHA – 336
Other Omega- 3 – 70mg
Serving size is 2 soft gels
Thank you.
Michelle
Hi Michelle – glad you like post. We’re working on introducing a kids’ Omega-3 in 2020. Stay tuned. The product you mention sounds like a regular fish oil softgel. The potency is OK. The issue is going to be the taste (or off-taste) depending on the source. I think I know the product you’re talking about…it is enteric coated, which makes it very hard to chew. If you want something for your kids to chew, go with Sports Research Triple Strength product.
Wow this was superbly written. I am flat out impressed at your scholarship. We eat Highland beef raised on only pasture from a local farm but damn if I can get our 5.5 year old to touch any form of soy-free eggs. The best I can source are pastured soy-free. These are smaller PA farms so they can’t afford that USDA Organic certification but if they go to the trouble of mobile pasture contraptions and not feeding the birds soylent slop, I figure they are not poisoning the pastures with nasties. I have been giving her NN’s Children’s DHA Xtra but Bart Kay (YouTube scientist) says go phospholipid or go home.
Hi Sean – thank you. The trick with kids is repeated exposure.
I’ve read somewhere that it takes a kid 9 times of tasting something before they stop hating it. But boy…that’s a lot of patience on the parents’ part.
I may have discussed this in one of the 400+ comments above, but when my twins turned 5, I began a months-long campaign of introducing them to a different fruit DAILY, starting on January 1st. Thru the end of March, I ended up eating most of the fruits left on their plates. But by end of June, they were eating 8 out of 10 (or so) fruits I was putting on their plates. Some stuff they just wont touch, no matter how exposed they are to it. My boy says the tiny hairs on raspberries tickle his throat and so he will never, ever, ever eat them or he threatens to puke. Fine! But I get your point and I hope you find something useful in my response above.
As for ‘phospholipid or go home,’ that’s may be only true for people with ApoE4 issues, which can increase predisposition to Alzheimers. People with this issue (need DNA test) have impaired DHA transport into the brain. So, Bart Kay isn’t entirely wrong. For the small number of people with this issue, they will need to get their DHA from seafood or krill oil. For the rest of us, DHA in triglyceride-form is juuuust fine.
Having said that, phospholipid (PL) form Omega-3 found in Krill oil is very well absorbed. And phospholipids are fantastic for our brains and nerves. Most of us are low in PL anyway. So there is a good argument for taking PL form of Omegas. The only issue is that krill oil is SO WEAK in Omegas that you’d have to take a dozen pills a day to get a meaningful dose.
More on all this from a far more reliable expert: https://www.fasebj.org/doi/10.1096/fj.201801412R
Hi Vin,
Great article, thank you so much. I’m looking for the purest fish oil for my 1 year old and trying to decide between Nordic natural children’s DHA vs Nutrasea chocolate vs genestra dha (recommended by my naturopath but has lots of extra ingredients which I don’t love). I personally use nutrasea but didn’t like how their products use green tea extract with 5 mcg of caffeine for children. Any opinion of this? Which is the purest fish oil out there for my child? Thank you
Hi Angela – these are all good brands. But my kids hated the Nordic DHA because of the taste. You can get the Nutrasea chocolate product without green tea – perhaps that would work. Genestra DHA is Ok too. But they key here is that there will be slightly differences in taste from batch to batch. You will have to sniff and taste each batch to make sure that you are not giving your child partially rancid product. This is a risk with liquid fish oils. How do you know how rancid it is? With a combination of third party test results as well as taste/smell. It’s hard to fool the nose.
Hi, I need your help, which omega fish oil, or supplement do you recommend ? For an 11 year old, who weights 95lbs. That is mercury free, and does not go rancid fast. He has trouble learning, focusing, retaining information, and processing information, and gets distracted really fast.
Hi Leticia – Omega-3 supplements are useful for supplying Omega-3 if your diet is low in Omega-3. It is not realistic to expect a pill, even if it is the best Kids Omega-3 supplement, to resolve all the issues you mention. I’m not saying it will not help…just do not expect one pill to fix the list of health concerns you mention.
Yes, giving Omega-3 to kids may help in some of the regards, but I don’t know if there are other nutritional deficiencies (very likely), high sugar consumption (possibly), lack of exercise (possibly), poor sleep discipline (possibly.)
Based on the words in your question, I suspect you will need a broad approach, one that requires a dramatic change in diet (elimination of sugar, flour, refined grains, and processed foods while increasing vegetable, fruit, nuts, seafood, and eggs), lots of outdoor exercise and play, strict enforcement of sleep discipline (11 hours at the same time every night), and, yes, some supplementation of Omega-3, magnesium, trace minerals, B-vitamins too. Children need an enormous amount of outdoor play in the sun and dirt – for Vitamin D3 and probiotics. Be strict about TV, screen, and video game time. My point is this: start with diet and lifestyle corrections. This is difficult, but this needs to come first.
Your child may need a medical evaluation too, to determine if there is a need for continued medical intervention or prescription medication. I am not a doctor, so I cannot provide medical advise, but having a doctor evaluate and rule out issues is important.
This article suggests several options for kids. Any of the recommended ones are fine. Do not use gummies – they do not have much Omega-3 and have a lot of sugar.
Hello Vin,
Could you please help me. I have a 12 years old boy who I believe has eating issues. He loves bread, egg and baked beans for breakfast, but won’t eat anything else until dinner time, and loves rice, chicken and beans for dinner which I cook myself.
He doesn’t eat his lunch at school, not even fruits.
I don’t give him junk food or sweets, watches TV only on the weekend, he doesn’t like to exercise but tries when pushed.
He’s been struggling at school/home and it’s getting worse, can’t focus, forgets a lot, slow processing and completing tasks and very sensitive and anxious…
Also, I’ve noticed that he’s not growing properly. Took him to the family Dr and confirmed that he’s way below the average growth.
Please help suggest some supplements to help him.
Hi Judith – first, the good news: you are now aware of the problem and wish to improve the situation. That alone puts you ahead of 95% of other mothers.
‘Doesn’t exercise but tries when pushed,’ describes my kids too and probably everyone else’s as well. This is normal. The trick is to make exercise feel like play. Example: I turned on the water sprinkler in the backyard yesterday (mid-June is warm here in California) and they must have run back and forth under the sprinkler for 15 minutes non stop. The trick worked – they got sun exposure and ran around barefoot on grass. But the challenge is to come up with other fun exercise activities on a regular basis.
Now to your question about supplements. I think you need to start with foods. I would suggest replacing bread and rice with veggies – root veggies, leafy greens, fruits, and nuts. Eggs are great. Chicken is OK. But aim for a wide variety of vegetables. Eating just twice a day is Ok as long as the quantity and quality of those two meals are good. Incorporate seafood and seaweed snacks into the diet.
Once you’re done with that, look into supplements – Omega-3, magnesium, Vitamin D in winter months, B complex, prebiotic fiber are a good start. Hope this helps.
Can you please help guide me on some gummies for my 12 year old son? He has Auditory processing disorder, depression and anxiety. It was recommended to get Fish Oil supplements and the studies I have read state to get ones that have EPA at a minimum of 60 percent to DHA. He has some food aversions, sensory issues, and can’t swallow pills (he gags). Can you please recommend a gummy that has this formula? I have searched amazon and other websites, but can’t find a gummy with this formula. Any help is appreciated. Thank you!!
Hi Michele – I hate it when people respond to a question with another question…but that’s what I’m going to do: what’s his diet like?
This is a piece I wrote for our sister brand’s website…while some of the tips are for adults, most diet and lifestyle suggestions in it will help children too: https://innovixlabs.com/blogs/insights/mood-health-plan-diet-tips-depression-anxiety
Please, please start with diet and lifestyle! Not gummies. Yes, we sell Omega-3 gummies on this site, but I don’t want you to think about supplement until you’ve done absolutely everything you can do about diet and lifestyle.
Diet: no sugar, no flour, nothing processed or out of a box or bag with a UPC code. Feed him mostly vegetables (leafy greens and tubers/root veggies), with some meat, seafood, eggs, berries, nuts, and some dark chocolate as a treat. In that order. Cook with olive oil – I like Bertolli Extra Light. Completely cut out fast food and foods cooked outside the house.
Lifestyle: get him out in the sun. Get early morning sun exposure. Spend time outdoors in gardens, parks, and green spaces. Walk, move, get some exercise. Get away from the screen. Go to bed EARLY – sleep discipline and hygiene is critical. Shut off TV, phones, ipads, and all screens an hour after sunset…this is easier to do in the summer. Late night device addiction is brutal on the circadian rhythm and will wreak havoc on mood.
What I’m suggesting above is not easy. It will be a pain. But I, honestly, don’t see how you get out of this situation without dramatic (and difficult) changes to diet and lifestyle. Yes, prescription medications may be necessary – get doctors involved too. But having a prescription in hand does not negate the need for diet and lifestyle changes. You will address the symptoms with drugs but only diet and lifestyle can start to address the root causes of the issues.
To answer your question, like I said above, we make an Omega-3 gummy, but that’s mostly DHA and low on EPA. The only other gummy on the market that I like is by Nordic Natural and they offer a high-DHA gummy too. I don’t know of a single kids Omega-3 gummy that is high in EPA. Most are just sugar with a sprinkling of Omegas, so they are a waste. Still, no harm in giving him a high DHA Omega gummy at all. Try it…but kids with sensory issues will usually reject both the OmegaVia and Nordic Natural gummies because of their jello like texture.
Hope this helps a little.
Hello,
What do you think about Ritual for kids with Omega-3 DHA from microalgae? We are a half vegan household and do not get our daily DHA from food alone so I am looking for a supplement for my kids(6 and 10) who are averse to swallowing pills. Thank you!
Hi Ash – I assume you’re referring to Ritual’s Multivitamin for Kids 4+.
I like that it is sugar free and it tastes pretty good (based on what my kids tell me – we taste test everything), but there isn’t adequate amounts of most nutrients in the gummies.
Perfect example: each gummy contains 16 mg of DHA. Most parents don’t know if that’s a lot or not but that is NOWHERE NEAR enough for kids. Each of your kids would need to eat about 20 gummies a day to get a good dose of DHA.
Also, I assume the kids are not vegan but the adults are. Vegan kids are at risk for multiple deficiencies. While I agree with veganism on an emotional/spiritual level, you need to be a nutrition ninja to pull off vegan kids. Just wanted to mention that.