Is Omega 3 a natural remedy for ADHD? The simple answer is no. Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid that is absolutely vital for adults, hence the word ‘essential’ – for children from birth to two years of age, it is even more important that they receive enough Omega 3 fatty acid DHA for a healthy build . of the brain Beyond the age of two, they need EPA for healthy brain function.
So why isn’t it a remedy? It is not a remedy for the simple reason that it should already be included in the diet, and not simply as an afterthought to add to the diet because the child or adult has ADHD.
Does this mean that if you give a person with ADHD high potency pharmaceutical grade fish oil in addition to a poor diet, they won’t feel any effect? The answer has to be yes, of course you will feel the effects. If you deprive someone of vital nutrients long enough, the body will react in a certain way; if you then replace those nutrients, the body will eventually return to its correct balance.
What is ADHD? A good definition is the following:
A common developmental and behavioral disorder, it is characterized by poor concentration, distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are inappropriate for the child’s age. Children and adults with ADHD are easily distracted by sights and sounds in their environment, are unable to concentrate for long periods of time, are restless and impulsive, or have a tendency to daydream and are slow to complete tasks.
fish oil supplements
With current research revealing that deficiencies in Omega 3 fatty acids may be a factor in learning difficulties, authorities in Durham, England, launched a program to see if an improved diet could lead to improvements in the classroom . But reversing the high-carbohydrate, highly-processed diets that children typically consume was going to be a momentous task. So they decided to see if fatty acids in the form of a fish oil supplement might be of any use.
This was the largest and most extensive trial looking at Omega 3 fatty acids and learning conditions ever carried out in the UK.
This trial involved more than 100 children in 12 elementary schools in the Durham area. The trial looked at dyspraxia and motor skills, but also looked at dyslexia and ADHD.
Test results
At the start of the trial, the percentage of children within the clinical range of an ADHD diagnosis was set at 32% for the fish oil group and 31% for the placebo group.
After 3 months of omega-3 fish oil supplementation, the percentage of children within the clinical range of an ADHD diagnosis fell to 18% for the fatty acid group, while it fell by only 1% for the group of placebo.
A raw score was calculated from the teacher’s rating form that assessed each child’s behavior. After 3 months, a highly significant reduction in behavior score was observed in the fish oil supplement group compared to placebo. The fatty acid group decreased from a mean score of 74.7 to 58.1, while the scores before and after treatment for the placebo group were 69.5 and 67.9.
The active fish oil group also saw significantly reduced teacher scores on the Conners’ Global DSM ADHD Scale after 3 months, compared to the placebo group. The placebo group saw similar improvements on this scale after switching to active fish oils during the 3-6 month trial period.
Within 3 months, the children who took the active supplement saw a significant reduction in the Hyperactive-Impulsive Behavior Rating Scale, compared to those who took the placebo. Additional reductions were seen in the 3- to 6-month period of the study.
Dramatic results were also seen within just 3 months of the dyspraxia trial. The active group that was supplemented with Omega 3 fish oil experienced significant improvements in reading (9.5 months), spelling (6.5 months) and behavior, compared to the placebo group in which none were achieved. overall improvement.
During the 3 to 6 month period when the placebo group switched to Omega 3 fish oil supplementation, considerable improvements were seen in the same areas, with an average gain in reading of 13.5 months and an average gain in spelling of more than 6 months. The active group that continued supplementation showed more signs of progress or maintained their improvement.
At the start of the trial, the children were a year behind their chronological age in reading and spelling, but after the trial, the active group that had been taking Omega-3 fish oil during the trial achieved improvements in spelling and spelling. reading above his age.
an alternate view
At first glance, these results seem quite conclusive. However, when you consider that by their own admission they had a real battle with the kids (and in some cases the parents) to change their eating habits, then the results, for a qualified dietitian and anyone who knows what what is a balanced diet, balance. Far from appearing to cure ADHD and dyspraxia, fish oil seems to demonstrate the need for a very balanced diet, with all of these nutritional components included in the first place.
What would be much more interesting than getting many rebellious children’s diets into the right balance and then claiming that fish oil helps with ADHD, would be bringing many children who eat a very balanced Mediterranean-style diet, which is already very balanced. , and test those children to see if it actually improves their reading or spelling ability.
Conclution
Not all of the children involved in the trial showed great improvements in behavior, spelling and reading, and the children who did show great improvements were, in my opinion, children who were already very severely deficient in Omega 3 due to diet. very poor.
The correct approach is not to supplement children with fish oil, but to drastically improve the child’s eating habits, following the example of a Mediterranean diet that includes oily fish, and trying to eliminate all additives and preservatives and the wrong types of ” bad fats. “.
As most parents will know, this is next to impossible, but changing a few little things in your diet will make all the difference. As for fish oil capsules, if you really can’t get your child to eat fatty fish, as this trial demonstrates, it’s highly recommended to supplement with a high-quality fish oil supplement so your child can get the right amount of Omega 3 in your diet
Copyright 2005 David McEvoy