Helpful Health Related Information

ADD and ADHD both in adulthood and childhood have made it into medical headlines over recent years.

There has been different types of studies on how nutrition, specifically omega 3 fatty acids and fish oils relate to the condition and symptoms of ADHD.

These types of studies on fish oil and omega 3's include:

1. Research on how blood levels of omega 3 oils differ in children with and without ADHD.

2. Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trials where fish oil is compared to placebo as a treatment for ADHD.

Generally these kinds of trials are considered a superior type of study as they look at the effect or giving omega 3 fish oils to treat ADD or ADHD.

So what do the results show?

One study looked at the blood levels of docosahexaenoic acid (omega 3), linoleic acid (omega 6), and arachidonic acid (omega 6) in children with and without ADHD.

They were found to be significantly lower in children with ADHD than those without ADHD.

So there seems to be a correlation between lower levels of omega 3s and the diagnosis of ADHD but the cause and effect is unclear.

Dietary intake of omega 3 were similar in both groups.

Perhaps the group with ADHD metabolise or absorb omega 3 differently to children without ADD.

However, on a more practical side, studies have shown that treating ADHD with omega 3s have benefits (shown in other studies)

Adult and childhood ADHD is a popular topic of talk nowadays. And understandably so.

For more info, see this list of medical benefits of omega 3 fatty acids including medical studies results.

Perhaps omega 3 fatty acids and fish oils is one of those conditions where nutrients do help ADHD to a significant degree.

As well as ADHD, fish oils have helped other mental conditions including depression, bipolar disorder, and dementia.

Perhaps there is a common link between the overall ability of the brain to work well and omega 3 oils which after all is one of the major components of the brain.

More studies are always very interesting to look at when it comes to omega 3.

As with all studies, if some studies are too small, there may be no significant results. With bigger or better designed studies, the results are more statistically significant.

So until next time, keep in good health, and let a friend know about these studies in ADHD, especially if they have children with the condition.