The omega-3 oils (the ‘good’ fats) in oily fish are crucial for effective brain functioning. Insufficient good fats affect memory, moods and can lead to hyperactivity, mental illness and depression. Omega 3 supplements are said to improve certain children’s behaviour and attention.
Children are eating more unhealthy, saturated fats. Such fats are syntheticfatty acids made by solidifying vegetable oils by passing hydrogen through them. Such hydrogenated oils are present in the majority of margarines. Many manufacturers use them to ensure their products like biscuits, crisps and other baked foods have a longer shelf-life.
They are often referred to ‘dysfunctional fats’, absorbed by the brain’s structure, ridding the brain of healthy fats and lowering the brain’s ability to send messages between cells. Trans fats block up the brain’s machinery. There is much deliberation that they cause learning difficulties, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia.