Fish Oil & Respiratory Infections In Children

The available research evidence suggests that a diet rich in coldwater fish may significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. There is also additional research suggesting that oil from coldwater fish might also improve immune system function, particularly in young children. A newly published study in the Journal of Pediatrics now suggests that fish oil supplements may actually reduce the risk of common acute illnesses in school children.

In this study, nearly 200 schoolchildren between the ages of 9 and 12 years were randomized to receive either a placebo (sugar) pill or a fish oil supplement pill 5 days per week. The children were all monitored for 6 months, and logs were kept of all illnesses that occurred in these kids.

At the end of the study, the researchers determined that the kids who were randomized to receive the fish oil supplements had a significantly lower incidence of acute childhood illnesses, and respiratory infections in particular, when compared to the children who had been randomized to receive placebo pills instead. Respiratory infections, when they occurred, also appeared to resolve more quickly in the group of children who had received fish oil supplements, when compared to the kids in the placebo group.

The researchers also measured the levels of several different immune-system-related substances in the blood of these patient volunteers, including TGF-beta protein, a substance which is known to impair the function of immune system cells. Among the children in the fish oil supplement group, TGF-beta levels in the blood were actually significantly lower than was observed among the children in the placebo group. The researchers, therefore, concluded that fish oil supplements appeared to decrease both the frequency and duration of acute illnesses in schoolchildren, and respiratory illnesses in particular. Immune-suppressing TGF-beta blood levels were also lower among the children who were randomized to receive fish oil supplements.

Before considering fish oil supplements for your child, please make sure to consult with your pediatrician first. Large doses of fish oil can expose children to potentially toxic doses of heavy metals and pesticides, and can also excessively thin the blood.

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