Is There An ADHD Omega 3 Link?
There may be someone in your family with ADHD. Fish oil may well provide an answer for that person. It has not yet been conclusively proven but it would seem from the evidence that there is a link between ADHD and fish oil.
ADHD, or what is otherwise known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, affects about 7 percent of children in the US. Most of these are boys and somewhere around 70 percent continue to adulthood suffering from ADHD. Omega 3 fatty acids have in many studies been shown to be important for the development of the fetal brain and also as a partial treatment for the symptoms of depression and there is now evidence emerging that using fish oil for ADHD treatment may be useful.
Studies on ADHD sufferers have shown that they have very low levels of Omega 3 fatty acids (essential fatty acids) in their bodies. In particular the 2 most important essential fatty acids are the Omega 3 fats called DHA and EPA. These are found primarily in fish, fish oil and for our purposes, in supplements made with fish oil.
A study done recently by the Inflammation Research Foundation study 3 boys and 6 girls who were all diagnosed with the symptoms of ADHD. These include in ability to concentrate on the task for an extended period of time, hyperactivity and other disruptive behavior.
High levels of fish oil supplements were given to each of the children over 8 weeks. During that time levels of Omega 3 fatty acids in their bodies were monitored and a study also monitored various factors indicating the degree to which their ADHD had changed.
It was observed that their levels of EPA and DHA increased dramatically and the indicators of their degree of ADHD fell. Their inattention school almost halved from 18 to 10 and their hyperactivity score fell from 11 to 5. Both of these results are impressive for sufferers of ADHD. Omega 3 supplementation seems to have had a very noticeable affect.
It is of course too early to say that we should be using fish oil for ADHD treatment, at least as a stand-alone treatment. But it seems that there is evidence that using fish oil for ADHD relief is worth pursuing. It does seem that there is a clear ADHD fish oil link.
And it is also unclear what dosage of fish oil supplementation should be used for ADHD sufferers. The dosage levels in the study were high.
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.
Note that not all Omega 3 fish oil supplements are created equal. Many supplements have low levels of 2 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, and do not represent good value for that reason.
Visit my website to find out how you can compare the different Omega 3 fish oil capsules available on the market.
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