Equazen Eye Q Oils

Are the following foods included in your regular diet? Sardines, mackerel, pilchards, salmon, tuna, linseeds, green leafy vegetables? If they are then there's a good chance that you are achieving the correct levels of fatty acids required to maintain brain function and eyesight in optimal condition. If you do any of the following then think again - smoke, drink alcohol, eat sugary foods, use processed vegetable oils, drink coffee or other caffinated ...
...ability to absorb essential fatty acids such as Omega 3.


About 30% of the tissues of your eye and brain are made up of long-chain fatty acids. These cannot be manufactured by the body and can only come from the diet. These fatty acids are crucial for moment to moment functioning of your eye and brain, especially in cell communication.


There have been many studies using Omega 3 supplements to regulate ... more

Are the following foods included in your regular diet? Sardines, mackerel, pilchards, salmon, tuna, linseeds, green leafy vegetables? If they are then there's a good chance that you are achieving the correct levels of fatty acids required to maintain brain function and eyesight in optimal condition. If you do any of the following then think again - smoke, drink alcohol, eat sugary foods, use processed vegetable oils, drink coffee or other caffinated products. Any of these factors will affect your bodies ability to absorb essential fatty acids such as Omega 3.

About 30% of the tissues of your eye and brain are made up of long-chain fatty acids. These cannot be manufactured by the body and can only come from the diet. These fatty acids are crucial for moment to moment functioning of your eye and brain, especially in cell communication.

There have been many studies using Omega 3 supplements to regulate children's behaviour. Perhaps the most memorable is Sir Robert Winston using Omega 3 supplements to great effect on a unruly child in one of his many programmes. More comprehensive studies were carried out in the Oxford-Durham School Trials. Omega 3 supplements and placebo supplements were given to children ranging in age from 3yrs - 15yrs. Significant improvements were recorded in behaviour and concentration in pre-school children after 5 months of Omega 3 supplement use, with no change recorded in children taking the placebo. Even more dramatic changes were noted in primary school children, with considerable improvements in concentration, behaviour, spelling, reading and language ability. In secondary school, children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were given Omega 3 for 12 weeks - again considerable improvements in concentration and behaviour were recorded.

It was after reading about these studies that I decided to try Omega 3 supplements on my daughter. At an early age she was extremely demanding and lacked any ability to concentrate on anything or stay still for more than a few seconds - accept when asleep! She wasn't particularly naughty and she was then- and still is - extremely sociable and loving. Her behaviour can perhaps be partially explained by problems she had with glue ear. Last December she had grommets inserted in her ears to relieve the problem and I had high hopes that her concentration levels would improve. Unfortunately things remained pretty much the same and by June this year, I was finding things were just getting too much. Her demanding behaviour was having a detrimental effect on the whole family. I could tell that although a bright child, she wasn't anywhere near close to reaching her full potential.

The Omega 3 supplements used in the school trials and by Sir Robert Winston were called Eye Q - produced by a company called Equazen. These can be taken in either liquid or chewy tablet form. The liquid comes in 200ml bottles in either a citrus or vanilla flavour, to mask a slight fishy taste, and cost £9.99. The chewy tablets can be purchased for £8.99 for a tub of 60 in a strawberry flavour. My daughter takes Eye Q liquid in citrus flavour and she seems very happy with it. However my son tried this and the chewy strawberry tablets and didn't like either.

Eye Q liquid is slightly more expensive than some other brands on the market, but this can be explained by the fact that Eye Q is made using only natural sources. Cheaper brands contain ethyl ester concentrates which are not as easily absorbed into the body. Natural fish oils are proven to be 2 - 3 times more easily absorbed and therefore achieve faster and more consistent results. The Omega 3 in Eye Q is sourced predominantly from sardine oils. Eye Q liquid also contains Omega 6 virgin pressed evening primrose oil and is suitable for use from 2 yrs of age to adult.

My daughter didn't object to the taste and following the directions, I started her off at the beginning of this July on 3 spoonfuls per day with food for the first 12 weeks. You can then drop the dose to one spoonful a day - increasing it again if needed. I reduced the dose to two spoonfuls per day after 12 weeks but have yet to drop it further. I will probably reduce it again once she has settled into school - she starts in January.

I didn't notice any change in my daughter's behaviour during the first few weeks but thought after eight weeks I was beginning to see a calming down. By 12 weeks a change was very noticeable. For the first time she began to play with her toys and even initiate some play herself. She began to role play and show more independence. By 15 weeks she seemed a totally different child - she no longer seemed hyperactive, she was concentrating on her toys for longer periods of time and was allowing me to read a whole story book or more to her every evening. Now, 5 months since the start of supplementation, she is beginning to read simple books out-loud, is happy to share with other children and has memorised all ten songs for her pre-school Christmas play. I can't say that we never have bad days because we do. The difference now is that there is usually a reason for them - tiredness, hunger, illness or fallings out with her brother - wish there was a cure for this!

Of course, it would be great to be able to ensure that children eat all the correct foods necessary to obtain optimal levels of fatty acids in their systems but when you consider how common it is nowadays for children to be faddy with their food, perhaps this is a little unrealistic. I've always tried my hardest to prepare food from scratch and examine ingredient labels on anything I buy in the shops. I've mixed sardines with spaghetti, salmon with rice and tried to hide cabbage amongst the mashed potatoes. Children are very adept at picking what they don't like out of their meals.

I doubt that I will ever dare to stop giving my daughter Eye Q liquid, so who knows what she would be like at 4 1/2 without it. I am convinced that this supplement has changed her life for the better and I highly recommend Eye Q to anyone who is struggling to cope with their child's behaviour and lack of concentration. Can Eye Q turn a child into a mini Einstein? I believe that these supplements will help your child to reach their full potential not create a genius - unless that potential to be a genius was there in the first place. Not many of those in my family, so highly unlikely - just watch this space!

April 2008

I reduced the dosage of Eye Q Oils once my daughter started school in January but noticed a fall back into old ways. Her concentration seemed to flit from one topic to the next without any link in subject. She still never seems to tire and problems are now occurring with her sleep. I have now returned the dose to three spoons per day and things are slowly improving again. I will stick with this dosage for the forseable future and will provide further updates if the situation changes.

Additional Information
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Eye Q Liquid - Citrus or Vanilla - £9.99 for 200ml (look out for 3 for 2 offers at Boots)

Typical Nutrition Information
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Fish Oil 736mg
of which:
EPA - 186mg
DHA- 58mg
Evening Primrose Oil: 184mg
of which:
GLA 20mg
Natural Vitamin E 10.8mg
108% RDA (EC recommended daily allowance)

Ingredients
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Ingredients: Sunflower Oil, Hi-EPA Fish Oil, Virgin Evening Primrose Oil, Natural Lemon Flavouring, Vitamin E (derived from IP-Soya)
Store out of reach of young children.
Refrigerate after opening.
Chilled oil may look cloudy.
Shake bottle before using.
Use within 3 months.

Websites
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www.equazen.com
www.durhamtrial.org 

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