Omega Fatty Acids could be the key to brain health in children and adolescents
Omega Fatty Acids could be the key to brain health in children and adolescents
We know from previous research that amongst children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) receiving Omega-3/6 fatty acids—Equazen®—delivering 558mg EPA, 174mg DHA, and 60mg Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) in a respective ratio of 9:3:1 over a 12-month duration meant that they did not require such a high dose of methylphenidate to manage and reduce their ADHD symptoms (0.8 mg/kg/day vs. 1.0 mg/kg/day).1
Now, additional research from Researchers from King’s College London and China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan2 also shows that omega-3 fish oil supplements improve attention among children and adolescents with ADHD that have low levels of omega-3 in their blood.
This was a randomised controlled trial involving 92 children with ADHD aged 6-18 who were given 1.2g daily of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) or a placebo for 12 weeks. The researchers found that children with the lowest blood levels of EPA showed improvements in focused attention and vigilance after taking the omega-3 supplements.
References
1. Barragán E et al. (2017) Efficacy and Safety of Omega-3/6 Fatty Acids, Methylphenidate, and a Combined Treatment in Children With ADHD. J Atten Disord 21(5):433-441.
2. High-Dose Eicosapentaenoic Acid 1 (EPA) Improves Attention and Vigilance in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Low Endogenous EPA Levels’ by Chang et al, Translational Psychiatry, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0633-0
Robert Hendriks MD
Chief Executive Officer, SFI Health
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