In boys with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, new research has found that an extra daily dose of Omega-3 fatty acids reduced symptoms of inattention. The study found that in a small clinical trial involving boys 8 to 14 years old, parents rated their son’s ability to pay attention more highly if the child’s diet was supplemented for 16 weeks with the long-chain fatty acid than if he got a placebo instead. Conducted in the Netherlands and published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, the new research is in line with studies that have found a welter of neuropsychological benefits to Omega-3 supplementation.
In the current study, 40 subjects got an average of 650 mg per day of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and 650 mg of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) — two different kinds of Omega-3s — in margarine. Half had been diagnosed with ADHD, and most continued with their stimulant medication while in the trial; he other half were normally-developing kids. The notable finding was that, whether or not they had ADHD, boys who got the Omega-3 supplement were rated by their parents as more attentive.
Read more at: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-boys-omega-3-20150319-story.html