Can Fish Oil Help in ADHD Treatment?

Can Fish Oil Help in ADHD Treatment?
by Deevan Aw

but the practice is not fully accepted.

There are some different views - some doctors have gone for fish oil exclusively, and
some doctors will say that using fish oil because it is new and exciting should not
prevent use of traditional therapies.

Two well known clinical trials, though not specifically targeted to classic ADHD, did
document the effects of supplementation with Omega 3 oils on kids and their
hyperactivity and learning. The first in 2005, the Oxford-Durham study, did find that
children benefited significantly from fish oil supplementation. These were children as
young as 18 months old and these children did improve their education levels.

A different Australian clinical trial was published in 2005 in The Journal of
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. In this study, 103 children were tested -
ranging from 7 to 12 years in age. Some of the children received palm oil, others fish
oil. Palm oil - being the placebo, did nothing to improve hyperactivity symptoms while
Omega 3 supplementation helped almost 50% of the children. The NY Times notes
though that this improvement was not noted in teachers' assessments.

In a May 2009 study, for ADHD, Doctors and
Researchers Mats Johnson, Sven Östlund, Gunnar Fransson, Björn Kadesjö,
Christopher Gillberg all from Göteborg University, Sweden did a study of 75 children
from ages 8-18 with ADHD. In their summary, they state that a majority of children
did not respond to Omega 3/6 supplementation. They do, however, state that a
subset of the children, 25% of them, achieved a 25% reduction in ADHD symptoms.
After 6 months, 47% of children had responded. They state that a subgroup of
children in their study responded to fish oil supplementation. It is not clear how much
fish oil was given to these children.

About The Author

Deevan Aw

In conclusion, fish oil supplementation for ADHD is not fully established or accepted in
the medical community as of the writing of this article, but results are promising.
You can find out about .

Can Fish Oil help in ADHD treatment?
Fish oil contains Omega 3 Fatty Acids
- EPA and DHA. The New York Times
mentions that studies have
consistently found that children with
A.D.H.D. have low blood levels of
DHA. Other medical studies have
shown children with ADHD have
higher ratios of EPA and arachidonic
acid in the blood of than in children
without ADHD. Arachidonic acid is one
of the most common fatty acids
present in the brain - as is DHA.

Omega 3 oil is being used by some
doctors as a treatment for ADHD -

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The content on
this website is for educational purposes only. Please consult with your physician before using natural
remedies and before making any drastic changes to your diet or exercise program.