Fatty Acid Trip: Adventures in High-EPA Fish Oil - Blog Archive - Clinical trial boosts omega-3’s ADHD benefit claims
Fatty Acid Trip: Adventures in High-EPA Fish Oil Blog Archive Clinical trial boosts omega-3’s ADHD benefit claims
The new study from the University of South Australia recruited 132 kids with ADHD aged 7 to 12 for the randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind intervention study. One hundred and four children completed the trial.
For the first 15 weeks of study, the kids were given daily supplements of either polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6, 3000 milligrams per day), PUFAs plus multivitamins and minerals, or placebo capsules (palm oil).
After 15 weeks all the groups crossed-over to the PUFA plus multivitamins and minerals supplement.
The supplement was derived from high-EPA marine fish oil and virgin evening primrose oil (GLA). The formulation contained Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Docosahexaenioc acid (DHA), GLA, and vitamin E.
Parents were asked to rate their child’s condition after 15 and 30 weeks with the 14 ADHD scales of the Conner’s Parent Rating Scales. After 15 weeks of eyeq supplements, improvements were recorded in half of these scales.
After 30 weeks (placebo group switching to eyeq supplements) the parental ratings of behaviour improved significantly in nine out of 14 scales.
No significant improvements were recorded in the Conners Teacher Ratings Scale, but the researchers state that parental ratings are considered more accurate for identifying ADHD in children than teachers.
“The present study is the largest PUFA trial to date with children falling in the clinical ADHD range on Conners Index. The result support those of other studies that have found improvements in developmental problems symptomatic of ADHD with PUFA supplementation,” wrote Sinn.
“These results have significant implications for children with ADHD-related symptoms, parents, and clinicians.”
Dr. Sinn said that many questions remain unanswered. “This work needs to be replicated in other scientifically controlled trials in populations of children with different constellations of symptoms and other developmental disorders that overlap with ADHD,” she told this website.
“We need more understanding about biological mechanisms, degree of relative PUFA deficiency and which children are most likely to respond, and also the relative importance of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, and the inclusion of omega-6 fatty acid GLA, in the supplement that has received successful outcomes in the UK and Adelaide trials.”
She added that a new trial would be starting this year to continue this work, with the taking of blood and urine samples to gain more understanding of fatty acid and biological metabolic profiles of responders versus non-responders, extending neuropsychological assessments to gain more understanding of cognitive and learning benefits, and comparing EPA with DHA.
The new study from the University of South Australia recruited 132 kids with ADHD aged 7 to 12 for the randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind intervention study. One hundred and four children completed the trial.
For the first 15 weeks of study, the kids were given daily supplements of either polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6, 3000 milligrams per day), PUFAs plus multivitamins and minerals, or placebo capsules (palm oil).
After 15 weeks all the groups crossed-over to the PUFA plus multivitamins and minerals supplement.
The supplement was derived from high-EPA marine fish oil and virgin evening primrose oil (GLA). The formulation contained Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Docosahexaenioc acid (DHA), GLA, and vitamin E.
Parents were asked to rate their child’s condition after 15 and 30 weeks with the 14 ADHD scales of the Conner’s Parent Rating Scales. After 15 weeks of eyeq supplements, improvements were recorded in half of these scales.
After 30 weeks (placebo group switching to eyeq supplements) the parental ratings of behaviour improved significantly in nine out of 14 scales.
No significant improvements were recorded in the Conners Teacher Ratings Scale, but the researchers state that parental ratings are considered more accurate for identifying ADHD in children than teachers.
“The present study is the largest PUFA trial to date with children falling in the clinical ADHD range on Conners Index. The result support those of other studies that have found improvements in developmental problems symptomatic of ADHD with PUFA supplementation,” wrote Sinn.
“These results have significant implications for children with ADHD-related symptoms, parents, and clinicians.”
Dr. Sinn said that many questions remain unanswered. “This work needs to be replicated in other scientifically controlled trials in populations of children with different constellations of symptoms and other developmental disorders that overlap with ADHD,” she told this website.
“We need more understanding about biological mechanisms, degree of relative PUFA deficiency and which children are most likely to respond, and also the relative importance of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, and the inclusion of omega-6 fatty acid GLA, in the supplement that has received successful outcomes in the UK and Adelaide trials.”
She added that a new trial would be starting this year to continue this work, with the taking of blood and urine samples to gain more understanding of fatty acid and biological metabolic profiles of responders versus non-responders, extending neuropsychological assessments to gain more understanding of cognitive and learning benefits, and comparing EPA with DHA.
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