Is your child getting the nutritional benefits of DHA Omega-3 through their diets?

Is your child getting the nutritional benefits of DHA Omega-3 through their diets?

The value of good nutrition cannot be underestimated. Good nutrition means the body receives the intake of the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it needs to support general health and wellbeing. For school-aged children, good nutrition is the dietary support for healthy growth during the key developmental years. In particular, childhood is a period of brain and central nervous system development.

Interestingly, the human brain is the “fattiest” organ in the body with 50-60% of the solid matter found in the brain as fat.

DHA is essential for key functions performed by the brain

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a long chain omega-3 fatty acid which belongs to the family of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and is the most abundant PUFA in the brain. DHA is specifically concentrated in the retina of the eye and grey matter in the brain. Gray matter has a key role in controlling brain and central nervous system activity. It is the predominant material in the cerebral cortex which is responsible for key functions such as cognition and mental function. It is thus suggested that children get enough DHA in their diet.

While DHA is the major fatty acid in the brain, Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is also present and is an important component of neuronal membranes. Recommended daily intakes of both EPA and DHA tend to be listed together as they occur naturally together in fish and marine products which are the major food sources of these fatty acids.

It is suggested that the benefits of DHA, long chain omega-3 fatty acid supplementation include brain health and cognitive function, and that there is a favourable role for DHA long chain omega-3 fatty acids in the support of general health and wellbeing/ healthy growth and development.

Intake vs recommendation – Where do Australian children stand?

Incorporating fish as part of a child’s daily diet is important and supplementing their diet with omega-3 fish oil may additionally be required when dietary intake is inadequate.

Table 1 below shows the daily recommended intakes of EPA+DHA for children aged from 2-18 years by global and country health organisations. While it appears that there may be no global consensus on recommended intake, most organisations agree on the importance of fish consumption and the general recommendation is 200-250mg of EPA+DHA/day which is equivalent to consuming about one tin of tuna a day.

Table 1: Recommendations of EPA and DHA intake for school-aged children

*Includes Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) which is also a long chain omega-3 PUFA.

What about intake? How much DHA are children consuming globally?

Table 2 shows DHA intake data from various studies and national nutritional surveys. In Asia, there is a lack of specific DHA consumption data in this age group but can be estimated based on fish intake. For example, in a survey of 561 Singaporean children aged 6-12 years old, it was reported that fish consumption was an average of 56g/day which would then be estimated to be an intake of 500mg of DHA/day.

Table 2: Daily DHA intake of school-aged children from different countries

* Including EPA

**Estimated from fish intake data

*** Without indication of age groups, adults may consume more fish than children.

The DHA intake of children in Australia, Belgium and Canada reported show to be substantially lower than DHA intakes of school-aged children China and Singapore. It appears that with a primarily Western diet, there is lower fish consumption and subsequently lower DHA intake compared to their counterparts in Asia. In Australia, it was reported that meat consumption was 8.5 times greater than that for fish/seafood.

At the school-going age, brain development, although not as rapid as at infancy, does not slow down substantially until individuals reach their early 20s. To meet the general daily recommendations for EPA and DHA intake will equate to consuming about one tin of tuna a day. Eating fish all year round could be mundane and unpopular for many children. Hence, a supplement may be an option when dietary intake may be inadequate. Supplements such as Nature’s Way Kids Smart DHA 300mg Triple Strength contains omega-3 DHA fish oil which can help with brain development and are great for kids who do not eat enough fish.

Article content courtesy of nutritional ingredients partner BASF

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