Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week, Registered Dietitian Victoria Retelny explains why omega-3 is important for growing children and suggests a few food sources of these essential fatty acids.

Question: Is Omega 3 proven to be helpful for children? Can you recommend a few good sources and brands of Omega 3?

Answer:

Yes, omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are found in breast milk, are beneficial for children’s normal growth and development.  For infants, DHA has been found to be vital for visual and brain function and development.  Some research has shown these essential fats to help children with attention deficit & hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As children grow into adults, there is evidence that omega-3s are a great way to keep the heart healthy, too.

As always, food sources should be the first choice for your child’s diet.  Omega-3 fatty acids come from two sources: plant foods like walnuts, flaxseeds, tofu, soybeans, and canola oil, which contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and fatty fish, which contain both DHA and EPA.  Some of the best fish sources of omega-3s are salmon, albacore tuna, lake trout, mackerel, and herring.  Since some fish can be high in mercury and other contaminants, there are limits to how much children (and adults) should eat.  According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency, up to two average fish meals or 12 oz per week – is safe for children.  Since albacore tuna is higher in mercury than chunk light tuna, limit the serving to 6 oz. per week.

The types of fish that children (and adults) should avoid due to high mercury levels:

• Shark
• Swordfish
• King mackerel
• Tilefish (Golden bass)

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, advise people to check local advisories to learn about the safety of fish caught in nearby local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. Advisories may recommend that people limit or avoid eating some types of fish caught in certain places. If no advice is available, young children may eat up to 1 meal per week of fish from local waters, but no other fish during that week.

The U.S. dietary supplement market is exploding with omega-3 capsules. Use caution, particularly with young children, when giving supplements – of any type.  Dietary supplements are not regulated by the federal government.  According to the FDA’s Web site, supplements ingredients may be reviewed for safety, but not effectiveness.  The ultimate responsibility for product safety is on the manufacturers and distributors before the supplements reach store shelves. The FDA will step in if products are found to be unsafe or if they contain false or misleading claims.

So what are good sources of omega-3s for children?  The best sources are fish and “designer” foods like omega-3 fortified cereal, yogurt and eggs.  Although, a recent article in Journal of the American Dietetic Association states that there is no specific recommendation for EPA and DHA individually right now, the need to get a balanced diet that includes essential fatty acids like omega-3s is important, particularly for growing children.  As always, consult a physician before giving fish oil capsules to children under 18 years old.

References:
Kris-Etherton P, Hill AM.  n-3 fatty acids: food or supplements?  J Am Diet Assoc (2008):108(7);1125-1130.

US Food and Drug Administration, Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know.

Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic.  The National Institutes of Health, Medline Plus.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans. MyPyramid for Preschoolers.

©2009 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

Aloha! Here is another set of 5 nutrition related news and articles from this week that I found interesting. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section.

No (conclusive) link between diet and ADHD in children

A recent article in the Harvard Mental Health Letter comes to the conclusion that diet alone is probably not the only factor causing ADHD in children. A lot of people believe that certain food colorants and additives cause the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. There are others who believe that sugary foods are responsible. And there are still others who believe that a diet lacking omega-3 fatty acids is to blame. Several studies have been done and special diets have been prescribed to help parents struggling with this problem. Sometimes positive results are seen but sometimes there is no effect.

So the bottom line is that no one knows for sure – yet. There is a chance that removing artificial colorants, reducing sugar, taking vitamins and omega-3 supplements may reduce the symptoms or severity of ADHD. But there is no guarantee. However, there is no doubt that a healthful diet will improve the overall health and nutrition. If you are struggling with this issue, I would love to hear about your experience and what has worked for you.

President Obama creates the Food Safety Working Group (FSWG)

Headed by the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, the newly created Food Safety Working Group will strive to “upgrade our food safety laws for the 21st century; foster coordination throughout government; and ensure that we are not just designing laws that will keep the American people safe, but enforcing them.” The recent outbreaks of Salmonella in peanuts and pistachio have shaken up our faith in the safety of our food supply. I welcome the sense of urgency the new administration appears to be giving to this problem. However, reading between the lines, I am baffled by yet another example of poor collaboration between different government agencies. I hope that an expectation of performance from the very top and clear accountability will produce the desired results. If you have a suggestion, question or a comment about the food safety policy, drop a line to FSWG on Twitter hashtag #WHSafefood or visit their Facebook page.

Helpful tips to reduce the risks of grilling

Ah! the summer is here and so is the sweet, smoky smell of barbecues from the backyards in the neighborhood. But did you know that eating too much of grilled meats cooked at high temperature under a lot of smoke can cause cancer? This is because the fat drippings on flaming grills create smoke which contains these cancer causing chemicals. Also, chemicals inside the meats themselves convert to cancer causing chemicals under high heat and long time. This article in the New York Times offers four simple steps to make grilled meats safer – pre-cook the meat, go heavy on your favorite sauce, add broccoli to the dinner menu and avoid well done meats. And just in case you are wondering, grilling vegetables is perfectly fine, although you should still scrape off the black charred layer in case you end up over-grilling them. Enjoy your summer and the barbecues! Feel free to share your favorite tips.

One man’s weed is another man’s “wonder food”

Tired of battling with weeds in your backyard? You will not believe that people are willing to pay top dollar – as much as $9/pound for fresh dandelion greens, the most common of all weeds! But before you get the urge to start collecting your backyard weeds in the hope of converting them into cold, hard cash to supplement your dwindling 401(k), you should check out your competition! Appears that cultivating these weedy greens is a full scale, and very profitable, business these days. Not only the dandelions are in huge demand, but there is also a market for purslane, lamb’s quarters and stinging nettles, a skin-irritating plant that can be eaten safely after boiling. These are exotic greens for exotic salads served by gourmet chefs, not only for their interesting taste, but also a mix of immune system boosting nutrients. To me, the most interesting part of the story was how we have become so removed from the source of our food in nature that our knowledge of what can be eaten as a salad is limited to what is available in the supermarkets. Have you begun to notice these edible weeds in your local supermarket?

The sweet nothingness of artificial sweeteners

There are so many different types of artificial sweeteners available these days. And now there is all this buzz about Stevia, the real “natural” no-calorie sweetener. How do you decide which one of the white, blue, yellow and pink packets to go for as you try to grab your morning coffee? They are zero calories all right, but should you worry about possible adverse health effects, including the possibility of cancer, from some of these chemicals? And what about the fact that consuming zero calories sugary beverages does nothing to control your appetite and you might actually end up eating more even as you try to cut down on calories? Check out this very detailed article on artificial sweeteners which basically says that most artificial sweeteners are safe in moderate amounts. So go for the one that tastes the best to you. Overall, you will be better off going for just water instead of the sweet beverage and following a nutrient-rich diet including fruits and vegetables. Zero means zero after all!

Enjoy your weekend!

Photo source – John Leach on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com