In a new study, researchers found that omega-3 fish oil supplements improve attention among children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but only among those with low levels of omega-3 in their body.
Their results bring a personalized medicine approach to psychiatry by demonstrating that omega-3 only works for some children with ADHD.
The research was conducted by a team from King’s College London and elsewhere.
Previous research by the same group found that children with omega-3 deficiency are more likely to have more severe ADHD.
In the study, the team examined 92 children with ADHD aged 6-18. They were given high doses of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) or a placebo for 12 weeks.
The researchers found that children with the lowest blood levels of EPA showed improvements in focussed attention and vigilance after taking the omega-3 supplements, but these improvements weren’t seen in children with normal or high blood levels of EPA.
In addition, for those children with high pre-existing blood-levels of EPA, omega-3 supplements had negative effects on impulsivity symptoms.
The researchers caution that parents should consult with medical professionals before opting to give their children omega-3 supplements.
Omega-3 deficiency can be identified by the presence of dry and scaly skin, eczema, and dry eyes, and could be confirmed through a blood test like the one conducted in this study.
The results suggest that fish oil supplements are at least as effective for attention as conventional pharmacological treatments among those children with ADHD who have an 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.
One author of the study is Dr. Jane Chang, a co-lead researcher from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s.
The study is published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.
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