---
title: Fish Oils & Essential Fats
description: Two very important fats are Omega-3 and Omega-6. These are called essential fats because our body cannot manufacture them from other nutrients, you must obtain them from your diet. Find out the importance of Omega 3 with EPA & DHA and your health.
---

[Children’s Chiropractic Centre Blog ](https://www.childrenschiropractic.com.au/blog)

# [Fish Oils & Essential Fats](https://www.childrenschiropractic.com.au/blog/fish-oils-essential-fats)

 Written by Dr Jacey Pryjma | 15-Apr-2018 23:00:00

****

Two very important fats are Omega-3, and Omega-6. These are called essential fats because our body cannot manufacture them from other nutrient, you must obtain them from your diet.

Omega-6 is readily available in today's diet due to the wide use of vegetable oils, in fact most people consume a diet with a ratio 12:1 of Omega-6 to Omega-3, where the ideal ratio should be 1:1. Therefore its very important to make sure you and your family has an adequate intake of Omega-3 to counteract this imbalance. 

 

**The Importance of Omega 3:**

The essential fats of Omega-3 are EPA and DHA

**EPA**

- **Increases brain function, particularly   
  the areas used for memory, learning and reasoning.  
  **- A link has been discovered between low levels of Omega-3 and ADHD, children with ADHD have lower levels of Omega-3 in their blood than children without ADHD.  
  - Children with reading difficulty have shown increasing levels of Omega-3.
- **Prevents Inflammation  
  -** EPA interferes with the production of arachidonic acid, the more you body will produce inflammatory compounds. 

**DHA**

- **Improves eye health  
  **- DHA keeps your cell membranes in a state whereby essential nutrients can pass in and out of the cells. This particularly has an effect on the nerve transmission in the retina (lining of the eye)
- **Supports brain development  
  **- Stunted emotional and intellectual development has been linked to low levels of Omega-3.  
  - High levels of DHA have been linked to higher vocabulary scores.

**Signs your child may be deficient: **

- **Irritable**
- **Inattentive**
- **Dry skin and symptoms of eczema**
- **Excessive thirst**
- **Poor eyesight**

If you suspect your child maybe deficient, you can book in with a health professional for example a Naturopath that can help you more with your child's health. 

 

[View full post](https://www.childrenschiropractic.com.au/blog/fish-oils-essential-fats)

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