Is There An ADHD Omega 3 Link?
Is there someone in your family with ADHD? Fish oil may well provide an answer. Although it has not been conclusively proven it seems that using fish oil for ADHD relief may well be useful.
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is estimated to affect around 7 percent of children in the US. Most are boys and around 70 percent of sufferers will progress to adulthood still suffering from ADHD. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to be important in the development of the fetal brain and also in reduction of the symptoms of depression and there is now evidence that using fish oil to treat ADHD may be worthwhile.
There are studies on ADHD sufferers that show that they have very low levels of the essential fatty acids known as Omega 3 fatty acids. The 2 most important of these are the Omega 3 fats called DHA and EPA. These are mainly found in fish and fish oil and can also be taken as fish oil supplements.
The Inflammation Research Foundation has concluded a study recently done on 3 boys and 6 girls, all of which had been diagnosed with symptoms of ADHD. The symptoms are, amongst others, an inability to focus on any task over a period of time and such disruptive behaviour as hyperactivity.
Study went over 8 weeks during which time the children were given high doses of Omega 3 fatty acids by way of fish oil supplements. Their are DHA and EPA levels were monitored and other factors relevant to their degree of ADHD were also monitored.
During the 8 weeks their levels of EPA and DHA increased significantly and the indicators of the degree of ADHD will sell. Their hyperactivity score fell to less than half, from 11 to 5. Their inattention school fell from 18 to 10. These are impressive results for sufferers of ADHD. Omega 3 supplementation seems to have worked to reduce their symptoms of ADHD.
It’s too early to say that using fish oil to treat ADHD is an adequate treatment regime, certainly as a stand-alone treatment. However it does seem that there is now clear evidence that using fish oil ADHD relief is well worth considering. There seems to be clearly between levels of Omega 3 and ADHD hyperactivity levels.
It is also as yet not clear what dosage of fish oil is appropriate for ADHD sufferers. In the study dosage levels were high, higher than is generally recommended.
But there is now little doubt that just about everyone in the US should be taking Omega 3 fish oil supplements, not just sufferers of ADHD. Omega 3 supplements benefit our health in a wide range of ways, including, it seems, in improving our mental state. It seems that adequate levels of essential fatty acids in our body to have an impact on conditions such as depression and ADHD.
There’s a wide range of reasons, both the general health and to improve their mental state, why children with ADHD should be taking daily Omega 3 fish oil supplements.
Remember though that not all fish oil supplements are the same and that some have much higher levels of DHA and EPA than others do, and that therefore some offer much better value than others.
Visit my website to find out how compare the various Omega 3 fish oil supplements available.