pro-efa

[Guest guest]

As long as people are talking about pro efa, here is a controversial question:

in the back of my mind I have always wondered if there was even a slight

possibility of the oil affecting my son's hearing. We have been ultra cautious

with him since birth with his ears since my husband has always gotten too much

fluid and had sets of tubes all of his life and so Micah has been to ENT's since

he was a few months old. He had a number of hearing tests, always came out good

and has never had tubes put in his ears. After we tried proefa, when he was in

kindergarten, he began having pretty severe 'tics' (for lack of a better

word...he had occasionally had them before when under stress so that is what I

attributed them to, however, he had seemed fine in kindergarten previous to

these becoming so pronounced) and they reached a height just before he got an

right ear infection, in which his ear drum burst. Just previous to that he had

another routine hearing exam and found to be deaf in his left ear...wasn't

hearing a thing due to conductive loss....so at the time his 'tics' were the

worst he basically was not hearing out of either ear. We got the ear infection

cleared up in his right ear and tested his hearing again.....again, the same

results. Two different doctors recommended a surgery that took several hours in

which they took out a tiny ear bone called the stapes and replaced it with an

artificial one...because the reason why he wasn't hearing was because the stapes

bone had become STUCK instead of 'wiggling' (excuse the technical explanation

) and conducting the sounds. So in my head, I am always wondering, why did the

bone suddenly stick at the age of 6 1/2 ? Why during the same period did he

have this terrible ear infection, which he has not been prone to?

Of course, I guess I will never know. Still, it has been nagging at my brain

ever since and I haven't said anything since I haven't heard anybody else say

anything like this and thought it sounded somewhat crazy. But I also believe

that anything that is potent enough to help some people, could be potent enough

to do damage to another? does that make sense?

must run, the boys are waiting for pancakes to be made! Carol

[Guest guest]

On Jun 23, 2004, at 3:25 PM, Sherrie Harned wrote:

> Also, when I mentioned that I might try fish oil to my pediatrician,

> her response was that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not

> recommend it because of the possible problems with vitamin

> deficiencies. Am I correct that this is not a problem with the Pro-

> EFA?

>

You are correct, this is not a problem with ProEFA. In fact I suspect

your doctor was confused; she was possibly thinking of cod liver oil,

which contains vitamins A and D, which are oil-based vitamins that you

can get *too much* of (not a deficiency). Also, if you take mineral

oil, you can get a vitamin deficiency. Maybe that is what she was

thinking of. You cannot get a vitamin deficiency or excess vitamins

from the essential fatty acids in ProEFA. Please note that they are

*essential* fatty acids, which means they are just as important as a

vitamin, the body needs them and cannot manufacture its own.

Medical doctors unfortunately get very little training about nutrition

in the med school curriculum. I worked for six and a half years as a

Research Associate for a Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell

University, who was also an MD with a specialty in dermatology. She

would go up to the Med. School in Syracuse every now and then to give

the med. students a couple of lectures, but they don't get much. It is

not your doctor's fault that she might have been a bit confused.

You could ask her to show you the AAP recommendation but I sincerely

doubt that it exists.

About the only reason not to give EFAs from ProEFA would be a proven

allergy to fish or some other capsule component. In that case flax

seed oil would be a slightly inferior substitute. The fatty acids are

not quite the same, however.

Peace,

Kathy E. (PhD, biology)

Retired--but my kids are working hard at

http://www.TheGroceryGame.com to save you money

and at http://www.heavenforanimals.com

to bring comfort when you lose a pet.

[Guest guest]

This is quoted from an article in Pediatrics, June 2003, entitled

Nutritional Management of Pediatric Food Hypersensitivity, by Shideh

Mofidi:

> Appropriate fat intake may become compromised in allergen-restricted

> diets. The worry is not only because of loss of total calories but

> also because essential fatty acid (EFA) requirements may not be met.

> The fatty acids essential for humans are linoleic (C18:2n-6) and

> [alpha]-linolenic (C18:3n-3) acids. Linoleic acid and its derivative,

> arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6), function as precursors for eicosanoids,

> which include prostaglandins and leukotrienes involved in cell

> signaling mechanisms, [alpha]-Linolenic acid and its derivatives,

> eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA;

> C22:6n-3), are important for neuronal development. The optimum

> requirements for EFA of the n-3 and n-6 families for infants are still

> not known, although normal growth of infants depends on an adequate

> supply of EFAs. The Committee on Nutrition of the American Academy of

> Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that 2.7% (range: 1%-4.5%) of energy

> intake be linoleic acid and 1% of energy intake be linolenic acid.

> (10) This should ensure an adequate supply of EFA for tissue

> proliferation, membrane integrity, and eicosanoid formation. Vegetable

> oils, except for coconut oil, are predominantly unsaturated with high

> content of linoleic acid and small amounts of linolenic acid. Major

> sources of linolenic acid are fish, fish oils, and oil extracted from

> seeds of Oenothera biennis (evening primrose).

You can look this whole article up at:

http://articles.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0950/is_6_111/

ai_103990590

It has a lot of good information on how to manage GFCF diets as well,

for those on restricted diets. Please note that they are saying that

up to 4.5% of the child's total calories (energy) intake can be

linoleic acid, which is one of the EFAs. That's a lot!

Still, my grandson is twice the weight of your daughter and he gets two

capsules a day, so I think one a day would be a good starting point.

Peace,

Kathy E.

On Jun 23, 2004, at 3:25 PM, Sherrie Harned wrote:

> \

> Also, when I mentioned that I might try fish oil to my pediatrician,

> her response was that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not

> recommend it because of the possible problems with vitamin

> deficiencies. Am I correct that this is not a problem with the Pro-

> EFA?

>

Retired--but my kids are working hard at

http://www.TheGroceryGame.com to save you money

and at http://www.heavenforanimals.com

to bring comfort when you lose a pet.

[Guest guest]

Hi, Sherrie -

First, our ped attitude toward the fish oil was that they provide essential

fatty acids and there is a reason they are called " essential. " Second, it might

be that your ped is confusing cod liver and similar supplements with the EFA's -

cod liver supplements have vitamin A in them. Vitamin A stays in the system and

can build up even to toxic levels. The EFAs do not have vitamin A.

You will get mixed reactions to liquid v. capsules. We started Josh on

capsules and switched to liquid - we found it easier to just measure out the

liquid into a measuring spoon than to poke the capsule everytime we gave him the

supp. However, we ran out of the liquid today and we will be going back to the

capsules to use them up. Capsules do not have to be refrigerated and are easier

to travel with; liquid needs refrigeration and has a much shorter shelf life.

Dosages - start small and build up is my recommendation. People usually

start with one capsule (or the liquid equivalent) but you may choose to start

with only a partial capsule, put the pin back in the capsule to save it, and use

the rest the next day.

As for where to buy them - I've always gone directly through Nordic Naturals

but I'm seeing more and more places where they can be purchased for less.

Good luck!!

Sherry

Sherrie Harned <mrsharned@...> wrote:

Hi Everyone! I don't post often, but my daughter (20 mo)has been

diagnosed with severe global apraxia. I have decided to start her on

the Pro-EFA, but I need some advice (sorry if this has been

discussed, I tried looking in the archives but I must not be looking

correctly.).

First, is there a preference as far as capsules or liquid?

Next, if I order at this site (http://www.shop-in-

service.com/proefa.htm), can I buy just one bottle to start?

And, how much of a dose should I give? (My daughter is very small --

only 22-23 pounds)

Also, when I mentioned that I might try fish oil to my pediatrician,

her response was that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not

recommend it because of the possible problems with vitamin

deficiencies. Am I correct that this is not a problem with the Pro-

EFA?

Thanks in advance for the advice. Since I have decided to give them

to her, I want to get started right away!

Sherrie