I recently came across the vast amounts of research surrounding the benefits of giving fish oils to children but had wondered how I could get it down them.

Not only do they help children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, ADHD and dyspraxia, and adults with conditions as schizophrenia and depression, fish oils protect the heart and reduce the pain of arthritis.

A study (admittedly funded by Boots) found that regular doses of fish oils dramatically boosted young children’s performance at school. Nearly three quarters of the youngsters – who were of mixed academic ability – showed improvements in numeracy, reading and writing after taking fish oil supplements for nine months.

It is the Omega-3 fatty acids – specifically EPA and DHA – they contain that make fish oils so beneficial. But as most parents know getting the kids to eat fish (apart from fish fingers) is not easy. This has made the Omega-3 supplement trade a booming business.

It’s all about taste…there are a big range out there and many of the supplements contain artificial sweeteners, colourings and flavourings which should not be necessary. The favourite in my house is Paradox Oils. They only use fish oil from deep sea fish caught in sustainable fishing grounds in the Arctic Ocean . The oil is then specially purified by a patented process and has passed all EC. and Food Standard Agency requirements for levels of any contaminants.

The powerful antioxidants prevent the oil from oxidizing and going “fishy and it is also flavored with pure lemon oil. I just add it to yogurt or cereal in the morning and it seems to go down without much complaint!