What common supplement reduces symptoms of ADHD?

Sunday, January 7, 2024.

ADHD, which stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a scourge on American families…

Under-reported, and poorly understood, ADHD is recognized by impulsiveness or hyperactivity.

The common supplement reduces symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Omega-3 fish oil supplements improve attention among children with ADHD, new research finds. Once again, we discover that foods can heal ADHD under certain circumstances.

ADHD, which stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is characterized by impulsiveness and hyperactivity.

This is what we need to know about ADHD and our children:

‘We are all becoming progressively more aware of the enormous importance of diet and nutrition in improving mental health, such as with omega-3 supplementation for ADHD or depression. With their anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective action, omega-3 also provides a tool to discover novel mechanisms for the psychotropic drugs of the future.’ Professor Carmine Pariante, of King’s College London, study co-author.

• The study found, though, that fish oil supplements are more effective than ADHD medication.

• However, the supplements only work for children who are already deficient in Omega-3.

• Signs of Omega-3 deficiency include dry and scaly skin, dry eyes, and eczema.

Dr. Jane Chang, the study’s first author, made a claim that made me take notice:

“Our results suggest that fish oil supplements are at least as effective for attention as conventional pharmacological treatments among those children with ADHD who have omega-3 deficiency.

On the other hand, it is possible to have too much of a good thing, and parents should always consult with their children’s psychiatrists since our study suggests there could be negative effects for some children.”

How the study was conducted

• The study included 92 kiddos between the ages of 6-18. One cohort was given either a high dose of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), and the other was administered a placebo over a 3-month research period.

• The results showed that those given EPA showed improvements in both focused attention and their focus.

• Here is what is interesting…the improvements were typically larger than those seen for ADHD medications, such as methylphenidate.

Professor Carmine Pariante, of King’s College London, is the study co-author. He explained the findings:

“‘The omega-3 supplements only worked in children that had lower levels of EPA in their blood, as if the intervention was replenishing a lack of this important nutrient.

For those children with omega-3 deficiency, fish oil supplements could be a preferable option to standard stimulant treatments.

Our study sets an important precedent for other nutritional interventions, and we can start bringing the benefits of ‘personalised psychiatry’ to children with ADHD.”

But this study was carried out in Taiwan, where diets contain plenty of fish…

This is something you’ll need to know…American and European children are normally disadvantaged by lower levels of EPA in their bloodstreams.

Professor Kuan-Pin Su, study co-author, said:

“High blood levels of EPA without using supplements can be achieved through a good diet with plenty of fish, which is common in some Asian countries like Taiwan and Japan.

It is possible that EPA deficiency is more common among children with ADHD in countries with less fish consumption, such as in North America and many countries in Europe, and that fish oil supplementation could therefore have more widespread benefits for treating the condition than in our study.”

This research should be discussed with all American and European clients with kiddos dealing with ADHD.

Be well, stay kind and Godspeed.

REFERENCES:

High-Dose Eicosapentaenoic Acid 1 (EPA) Improves Attention and Vigilance 2 in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 3 and Low Endogenous EPA Levels

Pariante, C. M.,Chang, P-C.,Su, K-P.,Mondelli, V.,Kumaran, S. S.,Yang, H-T.,Chiang, Y-J.&Chen, H-T.,5 Sept 2019, (Accepted/In press)In:Translational psychiatry. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review