Does Omega 3 help ADHD?

Answer 1

Deficiencies in zinc and certain essential fatty acids, - Omega 3 - the key components of fats and oils, may have effects on behavior.

P.S.

Sugar is often cited as contributing to hyperactivity, although study findings (especially those funded by the sugar industry) are mixed. Children who are malnourished as infants are also prone to developing ADHD.

Environmental Toxins: Complications during pregnancy or prenatal exposure to alcohol, nicotine, or environmental pollutants such as dioxins or PCBs may also be partly responsible. In addition, accumulation of even minimal amounts of lead in the body, which usually arises when children consume paint chips that are peeling off the walls of old homes, may cause distractibility and troubled thinking typical of ADHD.

The mineral magnesium may help to lessen symptoms of ADHD. Magnesium is often included in multivitamin formulas.

Taking a vitamin B complex, which contains a mix of B vitamins along with extra B3 and B6, helps to promote nervous system health.

Damage from free radicals, oxygen compounds produced during ordinary metabolism, can harm brain, nervous system, and other body tissues. The antioxidant vitamin C, taken with flavonoids, is important for preserving cell health throughout the body.

Evening primrose oil and borage oil are both rich in GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), a "good" type of fat that promotes nervous system health. Some studies suggest that GLA can be particularly beneficial in those who are deficient in the mineral zinc.

The nutritional supplement DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) helps to foster production of brain chemicals essential for healthy mental processing. Taking DMAE may therefore help to improve focus and concentration. Some researchers suggest that DMAE improves short-term, or working, memory, deficits of which have been noted in people with ADHD.

Dietary changes. So many foods and substances have been shown to enhance hyperactivity that it's truly worth the effort of at least giving the following dietary elimination program at least a six to eight week trial. If you notice improvement by eliminating certain foods, you can gradually reintroduce certain foods to determine which are the real culprits.

Look for chemicals. Remove as many additives, artificial colorings, and other chemicals as possible. You will learn to become an expert label reader. After a few days, you'll be surprised by how many chemicals we routinely ingest.

Check for hidden food allergies and remove any "positives" from your diet. Some research has reported that behavior improves when likely allergens are restricted.

Eliminate salicylates, including aspirin and salicylate-rich foods, from your diet. Such foods include some spices (chili powder, cloves, oregano, paprika) and an array of fruits, vegetables, and nuts (apples, grapes, oranges, plums, peaches, all types of berries, tomatoes, bell peppers, almonds, and peanuts). This program, called the Feingold diet, also restricts additives as well as petroleum-based preservatives such as BHA and BHT from the diet. Eliminate such foods for about two weeks, then gradually re-introduce them into your diet to see which may be contributing to behavioral problems.

Try more caffeine. Caffeine acts as a stimulant, like Ritalin, and some nutritionally oriented doctors actually prescribe it in capsule form.

Cut out white sugar. Many people report a "sugar high" when they ingest sugary foods and drinks such as candy, cakes, sweetened fruit juice, or soda pop.

Lifestyle changes. In addition to dietary changes, a few simple strategies for dealing with everyday issues more effectively may help. Time-tested tips include:

Break large projects into smaller, simpler tasks, setting deadlines for each part. Create a daily "to do" list, with a schedule for completing each one, and reward yourself when you are done. Write notes to yourself to help you remember.

Choose quiet settings to work and relax. Limit TV watching and computer games. Instead, listen to music, audiotapes or stories, or old-time radio shows.

Ask for clarification. If you don't understand an assignment or task, ask a teacher or your boss to repeat the instructions.

Try to stay organized, keeping phone numbers and addresses in one place, and other related groups of items (such as CDs or photos) in another.

Focus on a new activity or sport. Many people with ADHD benefit from activities that limit stimulation, such as tai chi, yoga, or tae kwon do. Learning these kinds of focused exercises helps to teach self-restraint and discipline.

Answer 2

Studies have shown a link between a fat imbalance in the brain and development of certain mental conditions such as learning disorders, bipolar disorder, Parkinson's disease and ADD/ADHD, to name a few. Research supports that EFA supplementation into diets of ADD/ADHD children has appeared to lessen the effects of hyperactivity, aggression and impulsiveness.

Answer 3

Hi Mommysel. I would like to provide you with some scientific references on this subject. Below are exact quotes from a couple of recent scientific articles with the references listed below.

"Several previous studies indicated that some physical symptoms reported in ADHD are similar to symptoms observed in essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency in animals and humans deprived of EFAs." "(EFAs) maintain cell membrane structure and are a source of material for the formation of localized hormones called eicosanoids, which are involved in almost every biologically significant process in the body. Additionally, n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids are specifically implicated in maintaining central nervous system function." (1)

Additionally, these researchers (at Purdue University) note: "medications do not address the underlying causes of ADHD". (1)

"Numerous studies suggest that biochemical heterogeneous etiologies for ADHD cluster around at least eight risk factors: food and additive allergies, heavy metal toxicity and other environmental toxins, low-protein/high-carbohydrate diets, mineral imbalances, essential fatty acid and phospholipid deficiencies, amino acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, and B-vitamin deficiencies." (2)

"These findings support the effectiveness of food supplement treatment ... and suggest that food supplement treatment of ADHD may be of equal efficacy to Ritalin treatment." (2)

Finally, researchers at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine say this: "Scientific evidence suggests that individualized dietary management may be effective in some children. Trace element supplementation (vitamins and minerals are trace elements) also may be beneficial when specific deficiencies are present." (3)

The Vanderbilt researchers also say this: "If the primary care provider is not comfortable or knowledgeable about an acceptable method (of nutritional treatment), referral to capable and responsible practitioners in the community who are experienced in these areas should be considered." (3)

I hope you find this helpful. You may want to find a qualified nutritionally trained healthcare provider to assist you and your child in managing this complex disorder.

Best wishes and good luck.

Answer 4

I would go to a health food store and look it up. I do believe that it helps with concentration, and memory. Caffeine also helps people with true ADD and ADHD. Instead of hyping them up it helps them calm down and concentrate better. I have ADD and I find that I am better able to complete tasks at work and home better when I have had caffeine.

Answer 5

The doctor I work for does feel that it helps. He used it on his daughter. It is howevver obious that he has not used it lately. But then they have not been together a lot as her mother keeps taking her to nantucket.
He is very smart.mind like a sponge. He is trying to get a book written on a cure for dislexia. Has a patent on a machine that he only has to help parapalgics walk. It is very complex.
So I personally believe the answer is yes.

Answer 6

Yes! The best source is cod liver oil every day.