Over the past decade there have been dozens of studies that have shown how ingesting omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish can have a positive impact on behavioural issues in people of all ages.   

There have been lots of studies on school-aged children, many of which have seen really amazing results. Some of the studies compared the amount of EPA/DHA in the blood of children with and without learning difficulties, finding that those with learning difficulties had lower levels of EPA/DHA (such as this Australian study published in December 2011). Others have given EPA/DHA supplements to children with learning difficulties and studied how their symptoms have changed over a period of time (such as this German study published in September 2010 and this Swedish study published in October of the same year).

Everyone's brain shrinks as we get older, it is a normal part of the aging process, just like wrinkles and hair-loss. Research has shown that for some people, namely those who suffer from dementia and Alzheimer's disease, certain areas of the brain experience a greater loss of grey matter. However, exciting new research has just been released suggesting that a diet rich in Omega-3s fatty acids and vitamins B, C, D, and E can help strengthen our brains.

If your child is having trouble concentrating in class, or doesn't seem to be keeping up with their peers, you might want to consider what you are feeding them. Numerous scientific studies have shown that supplementing kid's diets with EPA and DHA (the types of omega-3s found in fatty fish) helps with their brain function and development. This in turn will help with school performance.

Our brains are made up of about 60% fat so it makes sense that if we aren't ingesting enough of good-for-us fats (like Omega-3 EPA/DHA), our brains aren't going to be running at optimal levels. Sadly, most kids are deficient in these essential fatty acids. Researchers from the University of Guelph, in Ontario, showed that only 22% of the kids that they surveyed were getting the suggested minimum amounts of DHA and EPA in their diets. 

The majority of the brain is made up fats - and the majority of those fats are Omega-3 DHA, one of the Omega-3s found in fatty fish (the other is EPA). You already know that we have to consume Omega-3, because our bodies need it, but don't produce it. So it makes sense that when looking at brain health, including plenty of fatty fish in your diet or taking a fish oil supplement is going to help your brain function. 

The average life expectancy of a Japanese woman is 86 years, and 80 years for men. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, this means that no other nation lives as long as the Japanese do. Japan also has the largest number of centenarians -  people who are more than 100 years old. Research has shown that not only do the Japanese live longer, but they live a healthy old age and are less affected by conditions like heart disease and dementia.

The typical Japanese diet consists of lots of fish, vegetables, grains and fresh fruit, and contains few animal products. This is pretty much the opposite of how we eat in North America, where our diet is rich in saturated fats. Everything we know about nutrition supports the fact that the Japanese diet is healthier than the North American one, but let's break it down like this: 

There is no doubt that Omega-3s do our bodies good. We need them to survive, and getting the right amounts help us to thrive, stay healthy and perform better in many aspects of our lives. Because we don't naturally produce Omega-3s, we have to get them from food, or through dietary supplements, and not all sources deliver equal benefits. Here's why:

When it comes to our diet, fat has long been considered a dirty word. Low-fat and fat free foods adorn every shelf in the grocery store, and we avoid anything with fat because we've heard how bad fat is for us. What a lot of people don't quite understand is that not all fats are created equal. There are good fats and bad fats, and rather than banishing all fat from our diet, we need to make sure that we get enough of the good ones for our body to function properly.

Nutritionists have been telling us for years that we all need to eat more fatty fish, and that doing so has numerous benefits to our health. If you're already substituting salmon steaks for beef steaks once in a while, good for you, that is definitely a step in the right direction. However, you may still need to supplement that fish supper in order to give your body what it needs - specifically Omega-3 EPA/DHA. Here's why: