Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a common disorder that is thought to affect up to about 10 percent of children. Both girls and boys can be diagnosed with ADHD although many more boys than girls are affected.
A child who has ADHD will find it difficult to pay attention, focus on a task, or following instructions, they may fidget constantly or talk incessantly, will often interrupt others, may show signs of impatience or impulsivity and as a result will often perform poorly at school and will often have problems in a social setting too.
It is also possible to have ADHD without the hyperactivity element which is known simply as ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder and these children may appear rather dreamy as if they are in another world of their own, but again, will have difficulty paying attention or focusing on what they are required to do.
No one knows what causes ADHD or ADD but a lot of research studies are revealing that an imbalance of essential fatty acids may play a role. It is interesting to note that children with attention deficit disorder often have lower levels of Omega 3 fatty acids in their blood than children who do not exhibit symptoms of ADHD.
In particular, it is the Omega 3 fatty acid known as Eicosapentaenoic acid which is being highlighted more and more for the important role it plays in proper brain function and as such, there is a growing consensus that supplementing the diet with this fatty acid may indeed help to alleviate the symptoms of ADHD and there are some important studies that back this up.
EPA and ADHD Research
One important study as far as ADHD is concerned was an Australian randomised double blind study led by researcher Natalie Sinn at the University of Adelaide. More than 100 children between the ages of 7 and 12 with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder were given either fish oil or a placebo for a period of 15 weeks. At 15 weeks the children who had been receiving the placebo were then also given the fish oil.
For the first 15 weeks, the children who were receiving the fish oil showed a significant reduction in their ADHD symptoms compared to the children who had been given a placebo. When the children who were originally given the placebo switched to fish oil, they too showed the same improvement. The children were still showing improvements week by week at the end of the study.
The conclusion of the research was quite staggering as the researchers claimed that fish oil was more effective than Ritalin in the treatment of ADHD.
Another important research study into fish oil and the effect it could have on behaviour and learning was the Oxford Durham Fish Oil Trials. The largest of these trials involved 12 different schools and over 100 children who had problems with learning, behaviour and coordination. For the first three months of the trial, half the children were given Omega 3 fish oil and the rest a placebo. Again, after a period of 3 months, the children on the placebo then switched to fish oil.
At the end of the first 3 months the children who had been given the fish oil showed significant improvements in behaviour and in reading and spelling. When the placebo group switched to fish oil, they too showed a similar improvement.
There are other studies which have found similar results and an increasing number of researchers are coming to the conclusion that supplementation with fish oil can reduce the symptoms of ADHD and ADD and promote better learning at school.
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