Anyone Out There Use Fish Oil?"

L.,

I am really surprised at how many moms out there have gotten a pediatrician's recommendation at giving fish oils. I have always wanted to give it, but have been cautioned by doctors and nutritionists alike that it may not be safe due to mercury issues. I was advised to promptly discontinue taking fish oil tablets during my first pregnancy due to there being essentially no way to safe guard against mercury intake with these products.

With that said, there is no doubt in my mind (or anyone else's for that matter) that the benefits of giving Omega fatty acids to our kids are huge. Flax seed oil as well as ground flax seeds are an excellent (and safe) way to get these essential fatty acids into our kids' diets. I grind up one tablespoon of flax seeds (Whole Foods) a day that I add to each of their yogarts in the morning (one tablespoon per child). Using the ground flax seeds has the added benefit of being fibrous - this helps digestive health.

I should also add, quite humbly, that my twins (who are 4) have never had an ear infection, bronchial infection, or any infection for that matter. They have never needed antibiotics or acquired upper respiratory illnesses (coughs) the way so many other kids there age seem to suffer through during the winter months. Having been born early I would have thought them more vulnerable to respiratory illnessess, but this has not been the case. I attribute it to their diet (in part) and this includes the intake of omega 3 fatty acids.

Hope this helps,

1 mom found this helpful

I'd be a little concerned about giving such a young child any supplement without talking to a knowledgeable pediatrician. The only safe alternative is a teaspoon of castor oil every day, which is the old remedy of days past. If you insist on the fish oil, Nordic Naturals is 'mercury free' and probably the safest on the market. But, please be cautious. I started my 84 yr. old mother on fish oil, for her aches and pains, which put her in the hospital, thinned out her blood too much,(dangerous levels) research shows it can be a serious side effect. I believe 100% in natural remedies, but for children you have to be careful, unless there's a serious ailment where desperation may warrant it, but use therapists instead whenever possible. At that young age, whatever you put in their bodies could cause serious harm.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi L., As a nutritionist/lifestyle and wellness consultant, Toni is correct. Nordic Naturals and Carlson Kids are one of the top two brands out there. They are bottled in Norway and then sent here, so the fish have no mercury and are in its purest form. You are making a wise decision to put your children on fish oils, all of them will greatly benefit. I've been giving them to my daughter since 12m old (1/4tsp in the am and the pm). Flax Seed Oil is also another great Omega-3 which you can mix in applesauce (there is a cinnamon flavor) oatmeal, organic yogurt, etc. The thing is you have to store the oils in the refridgerator (even your olive oil) otherwise they go rancid fast, defeating the purpose of all the health benefits the oils provide.

There were just some great studies on giving ADHD kids fish oils, it reduces internal inflammation, saturates brain (60% of the brain is fat..so it makes sense)

Coconut oil is another great oil, the same fat (lauric acid) is found in breastmilk. In fact we should only be cooking with coconut or sesame oils b/c of its high heat content.

If you want more info on vitamins and probiotics for kids, then you will have one healthy bunch! :)

Good for you and doing your research!

J. W. MPH
Lifestyle and Wellness Consultant

1 mom found this helpful

Nordic Naturals has a line of fish oil for kids. It is the purest oil on the market. I have done lots of research and had it recommended by many doctors. My daughter has taken it since was three. There is a chewable gel tablet that she loves. It does have a lemony fishy flavor. They are not cheap but well worth it. You can often find deals on line.

1 mom found this helpful

Contact Carlson ,www.carlsonlabs.com, 888-234-5656. They are the leader in Fish Oil. They would be able to help you. Ther are actually located in Arlington Heights.

Great for tryiing it. I take fish oil regularily and especially during pregnancy and nursing. Also, eat Salmon once a week.

Best wish,
D.
Nurse practitioner

1 mom found this helpful

I would definitely talk to your doctor about brand, type etc. I take it for my ADD and I make sure to take odorless otherwise it tastes bad in your mouth. It kinda sitis in your throat and you get a fishy breath. Not fun!

I did give my 3 year old fish oil for a few months and thought I was the only one doing that. He has speech problems also and is in a special developement class wich has one on one help. Cod liver oil is what Elijah was taking and I would sprinkle a half teaspoon over his chicken or fish bites and he ate it right up. If your son refuses it gradually give it to him.

I bought a capsule with it already in at the health food store. It work very well for my child who has learniing issues. I do not like handing them a spoonful. A friends kid would take it while she and I gaged.

I too give my kids Nordic Naturals (Children's DHA). I buy them at www.luckyvitamins.com because they are cheeper than buying them at vitamin stores.

We get it at the health food store. Carlson is excellent, they make strawberry kids version. Or I use the adult and give my 4 year old 1/2 tsp. once a day.

Nordic Naturals is one of the better mfg of fish oil supplements. Vitamin Shoppe carries a Strawberry Softgel for children.

If you are interested in Omega 3 for your child, I would suggest you try Coromega. It is available in different flavors, can be kept cold in the refrigerator and can also be mixed with juices or yogurt. Go to Vitaminshoppe.com and you can read more about it there. Some of the other types of oils, etc. taste terrible and the capsules are hard for younger children to swallow. I personally take Cod-liver Oil from Carlson Labs..you can find it at Vitaminshoppe.com, too. Good Luck!

My doctor prescribed it for my 16 yr old for mood/PMS issues. Seems to be working. She takes a teaspoon daily. I've found that the people who work at Fruitfield Yield, GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe know more about herbal/vitamins than the doctors. Check with your doctor, but then also talk to someone at one of these stores. I found only The Vitamin Shoppe in Geneva Commons had the liquid form which is what you want. I was told that my daughter would have to take upwards of 10-15 pills to equal one teaspoon of the liquid. Good luck!

I use supplements from a company called Shaklee and they have a great fish oil product.
I know a mom who has been giving it to their child since they were an infant. The adult dose of this product is 3 capsules a day, but they give the child only one capsule. It's meant to be swallowed by adults, but their child chews them. I haven't given this to my son yet, but I took it while I was pregnant and nursing. He's had other products that were supposed to be swallowed and he chews them instead. He doesn't mind a bit.

I know you have to be really careful with the fish oils and watch what process they use because of the mercury content of fish. Shaklee uses a triple distilled process to make sure theirs is safe. My family has been involved with this company for over 35 years, so I really trust them.

You can go to www.shaklee.net/rkklemm for more info. put Omegaguard in the search window and it will pop right up.

Hi L.!
My 4 year old son has been on Omega 3-6-9 for 4 months now. I've seen him get calmer (we also started a special diet thru Feingold.org that eliminates foods with synthetic additives, etc) and able to the "connect the dots" better. There is a "junior" version which is in a chewable caplet form. Nordic (Naturals, I think) is the brand he is having now. I bought is at Fruitful Yield. The first brand I purchased on line. He takes 2 caplets in the morning along with 2 multivitamins loaded with B's and others (Trader Joe's chewy bears).
My son had early intervention for speech delay thru the state. He was later diagnosed with autism. So between diet and supplements, and of course lots of behavioral intervention -- we have seen huge improvements.
Good luck!
S. in Lisle

Hi L.,
I have been using fish oil on my three-year-old son for over a year. I recommend Carlson's Lemon Flavor for kids. I put it in my son's drink in the morning and I have never had an issue getting him to drink it. My son has autism and I think in combination with the biomedical treatments (vitamins/B12) shots I have definately seen an improvement. Good luck

L.-

I have read thru the advice column and Nordic Naturals and Carlson rate the best thru independent research. Coconut oil is also another wonderful Omega that breaks down into the body into certain enzymes, Both added to your son's regimen will do wonders for him.

Please follow the directions on the bottles. They come in gummies and liquids, both are equal in performance.

use these websites when research fish oils

mercola.com
holisticpediatrics.org
westonprice.org check out Sally Fallon Nourishing Traditions.

also Dr. Sears speaks very highly of fish oils.

T.
Detox Coach

We give my 18 month old son Carlson's Cod Liver Oil. He doesn't mind the taste, but we've been doing it since he was about 10 months old (which I think has something to do with it). We went to see a nutritionist b/c my son is allergic to dairy and egg and she suggested we start him on the fish oil. We give him a half teaspoon/day, but your son is probably old enough for 1 teaspoon/day. (we should probably increase my son't as well.) If your son has a problem with the taste, I know there are lemon flavored fish oils out there that taste better than the plain. I think Carlson's has a kids brand that is lemon flavored. You can find these at Whole Foods.

I use Nordiac Naturals for my toddler. Adult version for myself. Can't tell you the amount. Speaking to a Dr. would be my first advice. 2nd would be to see what Nordiac Natuals recommends.

My 5 year old daughter takes the L'il Critters Omega-3 gummy vitamins. They test slightly fishy but still yummy for her. They are like little gummy bears.

Hi L.,,
you can take it too.. !! I'm taking it for my joints and just overall well being.. My husband and I really like the coromega as others have said in the packets.. I just sip it right out of the packet.. at first as I was like WHAT? fish oil.. yuck!

but it is very pleasant tasting and so good for you. Yes.. you just buy it in the box at the vitamin shoppe. It seems to be helping make my monthly cycles longer.. to 28 days from 21.. yeah!!
good luck!

I highly recommend them, the best one to be found is www.nordicnaturals.com the have several different kinds for children that are chewable and will send you free samples to see if your children like them. L.

Not sure where you live, but in Oswego the is a health food store called A Second Opinion. The owner was a medical chemist at one time so he really knows his stuff. There is a fish oil he sellls there that is designed with kids in mind..it's a paste they suck on and tastes super sweet. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name right now.

Nordic Naturals!
Be careful WHERE the oil comes from....some are Mercury containing fish which i bad for children. So just make sure its made FOR children.

Dear L.,
I don't know about fish oil for children but can tell you that for the past 3.5 years I have been a distributor for a nutrition products company, Reliv International. I stopped selling as am not comfortable with that or the multi level marketing but think the products are excellent. Somehow, and I don't know how, balanced nutrition seems to even out the body and help with a lot of issues. I heard a lot of stories about benefits to children and adults alike. You can check out their web site
reliv.com
or I can put you in contact with someone who can give you more information that might help your son. To me it's better to use a specific formula of nutrients that you can put into a liquid rather than try to find just the right combination of vitamins, oils, etc. I think it's really worth a try. You are welcome to contact me off list at
____@____.com
Good luck.

S.

Be sure to talk to your pediatrician before giving him any - I believe that some fish oil supplements contain mercury. My OB advised me to quit taking the supplements when I got pregnant because of that. Be careful before listening to anyone who is not a doctor.

My daughter drinks organic whole milk (she is under 2) with DHA in it and we like it a lot. It's a red ocntainer -- I think it's Horizon brand -- sold at Jewel, Whole Foods... I think it's safer to eat/drink products with DHA/ARA in them rather than non-FDA approved supplements for a child -- yikes!!

I give my two year old "Go Fish, Brainy Kidz" chewies. They are made for two and up and Sears family recommended. They are a safe source of DHA and though are made with fish oil, taste like strawberry and NOT FISHY! :)

Hi L.,

We use the Carlson lemon flavored fish oil with our kids and put it into a little shot glass with juice. They love it. For our 9 month old baby we mix it in her yogurt. The stuff really tastes good (like a lemon drop) but it's oily so it's good to mix it in to something else. I like to take it with a shot of OJ.

Our daughter who is now 12 has several learning impairments and some other medical issues. She was advised to start taking fish oil (Omega 3) when she started showing signs of learning impairments and social difficulties in Kindergarten. There are definitely many benefits for everyone to take fish oil but I have never heard about it helping with a speech problem. However, I know that from research we were provided, many European studies have been conducted to show its effect on people with more of an agitated personality and helps to calm that agitation and helps with social difficulties so maybe speech is part of that. I know currently we have our daughter swallow 2 per day of those large gel capsules. When she was younger we only had her take 1 per day. I think the amount the person takes should also take into consideration how much fish the person eats regularly. So if your child eats a lot of fish, a fish oil supplement may not be necessary or could be given in smaller amounts. I don't know if there is a chart or anything that gives any guidelines for the correct amount. Don't know if this info helps or not. Good luck though!

Hi L.,
We use flax oil which is also beneficial. We just use the Whole Foods 365 brand. I just put a tsp. in his hot cereal, or I'll mix it into a smoothie. I try to do at least 3 tsp a day if I can. I hope that helps.
blessings,
J.

I have used Eskimo kids and get it from my chiropractor. I just went to Fruitful Yield and bought Children's DHA. A little bit more cost effective. I was told to make sure that they have vitamin D in them.

I started my girls out young, ages 2 and 3 and they do not balk at taking it. My other friends started their kids later and they won't take it. I tell my girls the fishes are feeding their brain.

Bit of advise, at first I was not giving them the supplement with their morning cereal because I thought hmmm. oil with milk yuck. But then I was told they should take it with food.

L.,
I have 4 little ones total and all my kids take these. They are omega 3 compound gummy chewables and are made by (I think) little critters. Costco has them and I believe trader joes has them as well. My 10 year old takes two a day, while my 3 year old takes 1 per day. I have noticed a difference in several aspects. Their hair and nails are healthier, their attention span seems to have increased as well. it also promotes bowel health.
M.

Ditto on the Nordic Naturals. When I was concerned about my son's recurring colds/allergies in 2006-07 (more than 8 colds in a year and at least 5 rounds of antibiotics due to ear or sinus infection)I spoke with a doctor's group in Milwaukee that works with detoxifying children's system from harmful metals, allergen causing foods like gluten/dairy, and immune deficiency issues that can affect neurological issues like learnign delays & autism. This doctor also suggested Nordic Naturals. My son has been taking it since he was 3 years old and I believe it has helped improve his overall health and his processing/learning delay in addition to the weekly private therapy he gets. We also give him a kid's probiotic every day in addition to a multi-vitamin & calcium because we're on rice milk. We went organic where we could afford it as well. Huge improvement in school, socializing, and coping in situations that used to be difficult for him.
Good luck!

The most important thing - you MUST get a pharmaceutical grade. This will ensure that it is cold packed, not heat packed (destroying the good properties), distilled of all toxins, 100% of what it SAYS it is (sams club, walgreens, etc are just food grade - only 30% of ingred are required - so you would have to take 3 X as much to get results with possibility of the omega 3 properties as being destroyed by heat packing)

I am a certified personal trainer and maternal fitness expert and i have a website I recommend that has a pharm grade fish oil. I give it to my kids as well. 1 with each meal. As an adult you can take up to 3/ 3X a day.

Omega 3s are SUCH a great route to go. I went to an AMA nutritional conference, and the results of studies showed were neck in neck with other meds for a variety of things with NO side effects.

The Omega zone is a great book to be a companion guide. By Barry Sears.

www.herbal-nutrition.com/bonniewayne/

I agree with the coraOmega! I bought it in orange flavor for my son, I learned from a friend that it also helps with Add/ADHD It comes in little packets that they can just put in the mouth and swallow. Be careful what one you give them some can smell real fishy!I found thta my son was able to pay attention in class much beet when he was on it.

I have used fish oil from Vital Choice. You can go to their website at vitalchoice.com Their oils are suppose to be pure fish oil. Good luck. Hope this helps.

I just started using Nordic Nature Children's DHA liquid with my 2.9 year old and have seen some positive changes that others have pointed out already - concentration, immune system... I chose to start him on it for the added benefits that DHA offers- supports brain development, visual and nervous system function. I give it to him at dinner with a little bit of juice and he does not seem to notice.

Hi L.,

Dr Sears sells a product especially for children. We don't use it because my son eats fish in his diet, but I get emails on it as I subscribe to his newsletter. Check out his website and you might find good information on it.

Good luck,
H.

Carlson Fish Oil is pure and tested to be contaminant-free. It comes flavored with lemon or orange. Call the phone number on the bottle and they will advise you on how much to give a child. I would definitely not be afraid to eat it! It's food.

BTW, Cod Liver Oil is more tricky because it has Vit D. Only if D levels are low, it's a great option. Too high is not good.

PS. I would be careful of taking advice of doctors who are not holistic-minded and nutrition knowledgeable.

Hi L.
My whole family uses fish oil. It is goo for so many things such as depression, ADD, skin, joints, heart health. Studies show that fish oil is more effective in children with ADD than actual drugs like the popular retalin. Nordic Naturals has a good brand for children. Hope this helps.

T.

We used fish oil with my kids for a few years. it definitely helped with immune issues. They were a bit healthier on it, could get over sickness faster. We were doing 1 tsp twice a day. The stuff tastes bad, but my kids were able to drink it with no problem (they are weird like that). I have heard you can put it in juice or something to hide the taste.

Yes My doctor told me about coromega it comes in two flavors lemon/lime and choclate/orange. The fish oil is in a pudding form and pre-measured in small pouches. You can get it from the health food store. The one I went to is on Vallmor rd. and Pulaski.Hope this is helpful

Both of my kids have been on fish oil since they've been little. I use the Carlson's lemon flavored and put one tablespoon in their oatmeal every day. I take it in the capsule form and the kids love those too. They think it tastes like candy. They saw me take them and wanted to try so I just said ok. In the beginning they'd spit out the capsule part but now they take it all. I don't give it to them every dayin capsule form, only as a treat if you can believe it! Depending on how your child eats a couple of tablespoons a day is not an issue.

If you go to www.mercola.com he has the ratio of Omega 3s to 6s and 9s that is appropriate. If you child eats a lot of fats throughout the day he may need a little bit more to try and blance the good fats. Good luck!

i have been giving my daughter a product called fortified flax which is ground flax seed, rich in omega 3 & 6 fiber and lignans. i started giving her 1/2 tsp. in hot cereal or yogurt when she was 10 months. it's tasteless. also, there is another remedy posted on earthclinic's site www.earthclinic.com/CURES/speech_impairment.html

Fish oil or DHA are things that I understand might help and cannot hurt. I have fish oil and a really epensive bottle of dha for kids. The fomrer is in pill form and doesn't work for my five year old. I don't know much but am willing to try this.

Kim Mother of 1 Five year old

L.,

I give my child fish oil for adhd. He is 8. The recommended dosage on this Carlson Liquid is 1/2 teaspoon with every meal. This is for children 4 and up. I would suggest asking your pediatrician. Where I originally bought it they said you could give it to them more and if they had diaharria(?) then that was to much and you should cut it back. When I started doing my reasearch I was amazed at how many things fish oil and help on so now everyone is taking it at my househod.

Good luck,
T.