Mercola - Natural Health Products & Articles

The first few years of a child's life are crucial to their physical, mental, emotional and social growth. If you want your child to grow up with a strong body and a sound mind, it isn't too early to start them on a healthy diet. One that is rich in an important nutrient called DHA.

DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, is a long-chain omega-3 fat which helps support a child's overall health and improve his/her developing body and mind by:

• promoting optimal neuron health to boost cognitive function 
• enhancing the ability to concentrate and focus
• playing a major role in muscle function and coordination
• supporting normal social development
• promoting appropriate behavior
• supporting healthy vision
• promoting a positive mental health outlook
• helping maintain healthy inflammatory levels
• promoting optimal blood lipid health

DHA is naturally found in breast milk. Studies show that breast-fed children score higher in IQ than those who were given baby formulas that lack DHA.

You can introduce adequate amounts of DHA into your child's diet by giving him/her omega-3-rich foods like salmon, tuna, catfish, shrimp, walnuts, flaxseeds, soybeans and other vegetables. However, getting your child to eat these foods might pose a challenge.

And even if you have no problem getting your child to eat fish, that's not a very good idea because fish today have become contaminated with toxins (including mercury) and pollutants. Even the FDA and the EPA are saying that young children should not be given certain types of fish and shellfish.

To optimize your child's DHA levels and thereby boost his/her overall development, natural health guru Joseph Mercola recommends Kids' Krill Oil, which comes from pure krill harvested in the pristine waters of the Antarctic.

Aside from DHA, Kids' Krill Oil contains choline, a phospholipid essential to the integrity of human cell membranes and which helps support healthy cholesterol levels, and the antioxidant astaxanthin, which is 300 times more potent than vitamins A and E, 47 times more potent than lutein, and 34 times more potent than CoQ10!

Kids Krill comes in tiny easy-to-swallow and tamper-resistant capliques which protect the krill oil's purity and cleanliness. Normally, a liquid supplement would be best for children but since krill oil would easily be damaged in that form, capliques are the next best thing, Dr. Mercola explains.

Mercola regularly takes krill oil himself and it would be a wise decision if you do so too, for your own health and to make it easier for your children to take Kids Krill. After all, imitation is the best form of flattery, and your children won't give you a hard time when taking supplements if they see you taking some yourself.

Tweet