Healthy Q & A: Improving Children's Concentration in School

Q:  My son has started first grade this year, and he’s been having a terrible time.  His teacher has a system of warnings that they get and then they have to stay inside for recess.  He’s already had to stay in for recess now a couple times, which I really think just makes things worse.  He’s not a bad kid, he just has a difficult time concentrating I think.  Is there anything you’d recommend?  I feel horrible about this whole situation.

A: Transitioning from kindergarten to first grade is a huge step, and many children, particularly boys, have a difficult time. As a young child (or person of any age!), sitting in a desk all day can be really hard.  I wonder if you might be able to speak to his teacher about the punishments in her class, since staying in for recess seems like the last thing that a child who has trouble paying attention needs.  Free play and being outdoors has been shown to increase concentration and behavior in the classroom, which is exactly the goal you’re looking for.

There are a number of supplements which have been shown to help with brain function and concentration in children.  The first I’d recommend is omega 3 fish oil.  The body cannot manufacture omega 3 fatty acids, and fatty acids which are essential to the body and play a large role in brain function, so if a child isn’t eating fatty fish multiple times a week (and few are), it is likely they’re deficient in those nutrients.  Omega 3 fatty acids have been studied extensively for their role in proper brain functioning, and are safe and beneficial for people of all ages.

Omega 3 fish oil can aid in concentration as well as helping with improving learning and behavior.  Science Daily has reported on a recent study which found, “From a sample of nearly 500 schoolchildren, we found that levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in the blood significantly predicted a child's behavior and ability to learn. Higher levels of Omega-3 in the blood, and DHA in particular, were associated with better reading and memory, as well as with fewer behavior problems as rated by parents and teachers.”

Correcting an omega 3 deficiency can go a long way in improving school performance in children, especially for kids who are having a difficult time.  There have even been positive results for children suffering from ADD/ADHD and autism as well. 

I have personally had a number of our customers have very impressive results with omega 3s for their children.  I remember one woman who came back in tears because she was so happy with the change in her daughter’s behavior after taking fish oils.  She said it was like night and day.  I won’t try to suggest that that is a typical response, though I do truly believe that fish oil does make a difference for the brain functioning, especially in children.

Most parents can’t picture their children being willing to take a fish oil, though we do have several great, non fishy tasting omega 3 supplements.  The one I would most recommend is Barlean’s Omega Swirl.  It comes in a variety of flavors- my daughter likes the lemon best- and it’s made in a way that it has a creamy consistency, rather than an oil, similar to yogurt or custard.  I don’t tell her its fish oil, just a “liquid vitamin”, but she absolutely loves the taste, and would literally drink the whole bottle if I let her.

Theanine is another supplement that might be helpful, since it helps with both reducing stress and anxiety as well as increasing focus. It’s safe for both kids and adults, and many people have found it to help themselves to feel more calm and focused vs. feeling scatterbrained. Theanine is derived from green tea and is very safe to take and is available in both gummies or capsules.

Supplement Spotlight: Back to School Supplements

This month’s spotlight is on back to school supplements.  I feel like September used to be the back to school month, but now it seems that everyone is starting in August (I really can’t believe that we’re nearing the end of summer).

Multivitamins

A daily multivitamin is not a substitute for a healthy diet, but rather it’s an insurance policy of sorts for filling out nutrients that may be missing from a person’s diet on a regular basis.  Multivitamins for children are especially important since most kids aren’t known for having the most healthy or varied diets.   Daily multivitamin use in children has even been associated with an increase in IQ and academic performance.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega 3s are incredibly important for school aged children (and everyone).  Omega 3 fatty acids play a large role in brain function, focus, and concentration.  The body cannot manufacture omega 3 fatty acids, they must be obtained through diet.  If your child is not eating fatty fish on a regular basis, it is likely they are deficient.  The company Barleans has a delicious tasting fish oil liquid that is not fishy tasting at all, in fact, my daughter would drink the whole bottle at a sitting if I’d let her.  I really can’t recommend omega 3s for kids enough.  In fact, I’ve had a number of customers report an impressive change in their children’s behavior and concentration at school after beginning supplementation.

L-Theanine

Stress and anxiety are a real problem for many school age children.  L-theanine, an amino acid derived from green tea, is a natural and effective supplement that is helpful for children and adults of all ages to reduce stress and anxiety as well as improve focus and concentration.  Theanine works by promoting alpha brain waves, the type of brain waves that produce a calm, relaxed state.  Unlike many herbs or supplements for stress it will not make you tired.  We have theanine in chewable tablets or capsules, as well as a chewable formula made for young children called Relax-a-Saurus by KAL’s Dinosaur brand.

These are a few of our favorite things.. Florajen 4 Kids

This month’s “Pass Favorite” is Florajen 4 Kids, Liz’s favorite.  She says she chose it because of how dramatically it had changed her children’s immune systems.  Both of her kids, Henry, age , and Lily, age , were always getting sick.  Her son would be on antibiotics a few times a year, and her daughter was having bouts of headaches and stomachaches a couple of times each week.  She says, “Once they starting taking it every day, I noticed how much less they were getting sick.  Lily rarely has stomachaches anymore, and only the occasional headache, and Henry has not been on antibiotics since.”

 Probiotics are wonderful for people of all ages, and help with digestion, allergies, and the immune system.  It’s a simple thing to take which is safe for everyone to take, including children and pregnant women, who often have limited choices for immunity supplements.   Florajen 4 Kids comes in capsules which can either be swallowed or sprinkled on top of cold foods.

Supplement Spotlight: Back to School Supplements for Children

It goes without saying that a healthy, balanced diet is important for children, but the fact is that most children’s (especially young children) diets are far from that.  It’s been said that the top two vegetables eaten by American children are French fries and ketchup, which should give everyone pause. 

Research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined that “Less than half of children consume the USDA recommended number of servings in any give food pyramid group and almost 80% do not eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.”

These missing nutrients can cause a number of problems for growing bodies, and can also evidence itself in concentration and attention problems at school.  One study, for example, researched kids ages 8-14 who took a multivitamin for three months and had “significantly improved cognition and mood”.

Another study found that “Children who took dietary supplements showed more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions.”  Yet another study found that multivitamin use among children improved cognitive performance.

One area where supplements are important for children (I would almost venture to say that they may be even more important than a multivitamin) are omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega 3 fatty acids are absolutely crucial for brain function and development.  It’s important to note that the body cannot manufacture its own omega 3s, and that they must be added to the body either from foods or supplements.  Omega 3s can be obtained from fish or flax, though for children and brain function fish is greatly superior, though there are vegetarian forms that are as effective as fish oil (it’s important to look for vegetarian products with DHA).  Most kids aren’t a big fan of fish, plus there are concerns about mercury contamination, so supplements are an ideal choice.

For most parents the idea of getting their child to take a fish oil supplement is laughable, but there are some fantastic and great tasting fish oil supplements on the market.  The one I most recommend isBarlean’s Omega Swirl, which is made in a way so that the texture is similar to a cream or yogurt and it’s not at all fishy.  My daughter would literally drink the entire bottle if I’d let her. 

There are a large amount of positive studies on the benefits of omega 3 fish oil supplements for children and its help in concentration, impulse control, depression and hostility.  For children with ADD/ADHD, supplementation is even more important, as research has found that those children are often severely deficient in omega 3s.  I even had a woman who came in the store literally in tears because she was so grateful at the night and day difference in her daughter after giving her fish oil.  While I can’t say that results like that are going to happen for everyone, I do firmly believe that omega 3 supplements are of great benefit for everyone, especially children.

Other areas of importance are of Vitamin D, especially in the winter, since vitamin D deficiency can cause brittle bones and osteoporosis in later life.  Vitamin D also enhances immune function, and vitamin D supplementation has been found in research to reduce the risk of illness in children, especially respiratory infections.  Calcium supplements are also important for children, especially those on dairy free diets.

We have a lot of very high quality children’s vitamins and supplements at the store, so come by- we’d love to help you.