COD LIVER OIL MAY HELP HYPERACTIVE CHILDREN

increase concentration ability, claims new study in UK

Fish oils such as Omega 3 found in Cod Liver Oil, has been found to calm children affected by ADHD ( Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) , according to a new study carried out in the UK recently. In an intriguing experiment highlighted on BBC’s Child of OurTime documentary, parents throughout the country were fascinated by the results that confirmed the widely felt benefits of fish oil on children.

Professor Robert Winston has been giving daily doses of fish oil supplements containing Omega 3 fatty acids to two children, each with different behavioural problems. After three months, the results have recorded significant changes in the behavior of the children. One child who was withdrawn and did not communicate, has become popular and outgoing while the other’s aggressive behavior had almost vanished.The latest evidence comes as yet another benefit of naturally occurring fish oil such as Omega 3 found in Cod Liver Oil.

For almost a century, the widely felt benefits of fish oil such as Omega 3 found in Cod Liver Oil have been known. During World WarTwo, children were given cod liver oil supplements to supplement their sparse diet of wartime days.

“Fish and seafood are the only ready-made sources of the essential Omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA which we need for our brains,”explains Dr Alex Richardson, a neuroscientist based at Oxford University.

“If we don’t get them from fish, we have to build them from other, simpler forms of the fatty acids found in green leafy vegetables and some nuts and seeds.

“However, in some cases of dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism and ADHD( Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and even depression, the brain needs more fatty acids than average, which are not being provided in the normal diet.” Fish oil improved concentration

While conducting the trials, Dr Richardson found children with dyslexia and ADHD tendencies experienced improved concentration, decreased anxiety and a reduction in disruptive behaviour, following a three month course on taking fish oil daily.

She admits:“We don’t know the exact mechanisms of why fish oils help the brain, but they do.

If children are found to have a deficiency of fatty acids, the usual tell-tale signs are dry and lacklustre skin and hair, dry bumpy skin at the top of the arms and weak, brittle nails.

DR RICHARDSON:

“A lot more research needs to be done, but I hope that enough clinical trials have taken place for doctors to be

able to prescribe Omega 3.”

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