We’ve been reading a lot about the importance of DHA as “brain food” for children and adults, alike, but what exactly is DHA?

DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, is an essential Omega-3 fatty acid found naturally in foods like salmon, tuna and other coldwater fish, as well as flax and pumpkin seeds. Most children and toddlers’ diets (not to mention many adults’ diets) lack sufficient quantities of these foods, which is why trusted pediatrician Dr. Sears recommends adding a DHA supplement to your child’s diet.

When the body lacks essential Omega-3 fatty acids, the cells try to build “replacement fatty acids,” which are similar in function but may cause depression and Attention Deficit Disorder. A diet rich in DHA lowers the blood level of these replacement fatty acids and also of harmful fats such as cholesterol.

So how did DHA earn its reputation as “brain food?” According to Dr. Sears, DHA is the primary structural component of brain tissue, as well as an important part of the enzymes within cell membranes that allow the membranes to transport valuable nutrients in and out of the cells. DHA also affects the brain’s neurotransmitters, and helps brain cells communicate with each other more effectively. Simply put, a healthy brain is a smart brain!

A diet rich in DHA has been shown to improve focus, behavior and cognitive function, and even increase learning capacity in young children. Children who are more focused and can concentrate better also tend to remain in better moods longer — less tantrums and more time to play, study and learn!

DHA also helps vision development because the retina contains a high concentration of the fatty acid. Improved vision development also leads to greater learning capabilities, since the eyes are such important tools in education.

When the body has enough DHA, the brain can function at its highest capacity. This is especially important in infants and toddlers, because brains grow more rapidly in the first few years than at any other time of life. Evidence shows that the increased academic performance of breast-fed children is due, at least in part, to the DHA-rich diet breast milk provides. Breast milk contains DHA for growing infants, and most infant formula today is fortified with DHA. But toddlers don’t receive DHA from these sources, which is why a supplement is important. Dr. Sears offers a variety of vitamin products to insure that your child is getting enough of the crucial fatty acid.

Dr. Sears’ specially-developed Go Fish Brainy Kidz Omega-3 DHA natural fruit-based soft chews contain optimal levels of DHA for improved brain function. Each soft chew contains 100 mg of DHA and is certified by Safe Source ™ to be free of detectable levels of over 250 environmental contaminants, including mercury, heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs and pesticides. The pediatrician-developed, kid-approved, tasty vitamin supplements are all-natural and do not contain any high-fructose corn syrup.

The first baby preselected as breast cancer-gene free was born in the UK this month and made the headlines. The doctors used preimplanatation genetic diagnostics (PGD) to screen IVF-produced embryos for those which are free from mutations of the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. The parents opted for the procedure to free the next generation from the curse of genetically transmitted breast cancer that plagued women in the father’s family. Many people welcomed this new development while others disapproved. It is therefore good to know that there may be other ways of preventing cancer in our offspring without resorting to PGD. And it has something to do with maternal diet during pregnancy.

A recent study presented at the American Association of Cancer Research’s Annual Conference reported that mothers with high omega 6 fats in their diet may put their children at higher risk for breast cancer. However, by shifting to other types of fats, this risk can be significantly reduced.

The study was conducted in the lab by feeding a group of pregnant mice with a diet containing corn oil while another group was given a diet containing canola oil. When these mice gave birth, their offspring were monitored for breast cancer incidence. The results of the test showed that both groups of offspring have similar body weights. However, those offspring whose mothers were fed with corn oil have a higher number of glands with tumors and higher total tumor weight. The researchers believe that that the mother’s diet during pregnancy and feeding period has an influence on the baby’s gene development and susceptibility to cancer.

So why did the researchers choose to compare corn and canola oils in their study? Corn oil contains 50% omega 6 polyunsaturated fats and only 0.5% omega 3 fats. Canola oil, the other hand, contains only 20% omega 6 and 10 percent omega 3 fats. Omega 6 polyunsaturated fats have been reported to increase rates of breast cancer while omega 3 was found to lower cancer risk. In addition, the amount of omega 6 in corn oil mimics the typical American diet.

The use of polyunsaturated fats like corn and soy bean oils became popular in the 1950s and 1960s when doctors began recommending it to reduce cardiovascular diseases. However, the incidence of hormonally-influenced cancers like breast, colon and prostate cancers also started to go up soon after the consumers shifted to these oil diets.

The good thing is that canola, also known as rape seed oil with its omega 6 and omega 3 balanced content is readily available in supermarkets.

Once, the American Academy of Pediatricians recommended that parents of children at higher risk of eczema and allergies held off feeding their babies certain foods until age 3. The thinking was that if parents avoided foods that cause a large percentage of all food allergies, like fish, until the child was older, then their immune system would be better able to cope with a possible allergic reaction.

In 2008 the AAP reversed their recommendation, saying there was no convincing evidence that eating fish early did increase the likelihood of allergies. And a study from Sweden now suggests that babies who start to eat fish between 6 and 9 months may actually have a lower risk of developing eczema.

The type of fish eaten didn’t seem to make any difference. Researchers had thought that the affect might have been due to omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish, but now they believe that’s not the cause.

White fish is the least “fishy” tasting and can be pureed for younger babies, and of course fish sticks are always popular with older babies and toddlers.