Vegan DHA Omega-3 for Kids: 3 Things to Look for When Buying.  

When choosing a vegan DHA omega-3 algae oil for children there are three major things to consider: Product, Extraction Method and Third-party Laboratory Testing.

1. Product: Vegan DHA Omega-3 Oil helps support children's Brain (memory, focus and attention), Heart (blood pressure, triglyceride & HDL level), Joint, Skin and Eye Health. There are so many choices out there, the decision can be very overwhelming. Look for an organically grown, sustainably sourced Chromista Algae Oil which is handcrafted in enclosed culture tanks preferably in the USA. Chromista Oil is a rich source of omega-3s that better matches your body's natural ratios of omega-3s. DHA is the most important to get from supplements, because DHA is 80% of your body's omega-3s. From DHA, all other omega-3s can be made by your body in just the right amounts.

 Buy the pure oil vs. the softgels because many softgels are too big for kids to easily swallow, and may contain potentially harmful “other ingredients” such as caramel color, carrageenan and gelatin. Dietary supplements should always help support our health, not be harmful to our health.

1.  Extraction Methods: Traditional extraction processes use some combination of heat, pressure, and solvent (hexane, alcohol etc...) to remove a desired compound from its environment. Unfortunately, these methods often leave residue or degrade the quality and amount of the desired compound. You should look for a water-extracted algae oil.

During extraction, the algae are broken open to separate the oil (>50% DHA) and algae meal (>18% DHA) by water extraction, a chemical-free process. There is very little waste and no harm to the environment. The result of the water extraction is ultra-pure DHA Omega-3 Algae Oil.

3. Third-Party Laboratory Testing: Ask if each extraction is tested by a third party laboratory to ensure potency, cleanliness, and safety. Make sure each of these lab tests is openly available on their website to establish transparency and provide the ultimate reassurance that every product they offer is safe, pure and effective. If they will not share third-party lab results, then do not share your money with them. 

As parents, keeping our kids healthy is our number one priority. Making sure they eat healthy, exercise and supplement their diet with high quality nutritional supplements, we can all play a part in their long-term wellness.