www.stoltseafarm.com/Americas/nutritionTrends.asp -
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Published on: 9/13/2002
Last Visited: 4/2/2005
John R. Burgess, assistant professor of foods and nutrition, tested the omega-3 blood levels of 96 boys, ages 6-12; about half had been identified as having ADHD.Clearly, Burgess says, "boys with lower levels of the omega-3 fat scored higher in frequency of behavioral problems," such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, temper tantrums and sleep problems.
The B-I-G question: Does taking more omega-3 and other appropriate fats cure the deficiency and improve ADHD behavior?That's what Burgess is trying to find out in a follow-up study.He cautions that only 40 percent of kids with ADHD in his study had low omega-3, so obviously it wouldn't work in most cases.Burgess also says it's unclear how much of what type of oils each individual child may need.Whatever you do, he advises working with health professionals and not stopping other treatments or medications for ADHD without proper medical advice.