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Home » Omega 3 for adolescents with ADHD
The Facts:
- Adolescents with ADHD have abnormal essential fatty acid profiles that are like those seen in young children with ADHD, but quite distinct from those seen in healthy adolescents of the same age.
- A study of 11 adolescents with ADHD and 12 age-matched controls found that the ratio of omega-3Ļomega-6 fatty acids was lower in ADHD patients than controls despite the 2 groups eating similar amounts of essential fatty acids.
- Use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements to improve fatty acid profiles may potentially improve behaviour in adolescents with ADHD and needs to be investigated.
Dr Shaun Holt:
This was only a small study, and so all the usual caveats apply. The main finding was that adolescents with ADHD appear to metabolize fatty acids differently to people of their age group without ADHD. This is turn means that omega-3 supplements may possibly help with the behavioral issues associated with this condition. It is thought that around 4% of under 19¡¦s have this condition, and so safe and effective treatments are certainly needed.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-7-8
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