Indeed, there has been an explosion of interest in learning more about fish oil for ADD or ADHD since, as we all know, many school-aged children have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. However, we would be remiss if we didn't mention that adults suffer too from ADD or ADHD.
So, what's the link between fish oil and ADD or ADHD?
Health And Supplements
Fish oil is a rich source of both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered "essential" because, like vitamins, the body needs them for good health and cannot manufacture them so they must be obtained from food sources.
Needless to say, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids is found in cold water fish. However, omega-3s are also found in some plant sources such as flaxseed oil, but the omega 3 from plants only contain ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) which needs to be converted to DHA and EPA in order to be utilized properly. Put simply, only the omega-3 in fish oil contains both DHA and EPA, the two types of omega-3 fatty acids more readily used by the body.
To further explain the connection between fish oil for ADD and ADHD...
Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (another essential fatty acid) play a crucial role in the proper development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. In addition, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids appear to be particularly important for cognitive and behavioral function. In fact, these essential fatty acids are found in high concentrations in the brain, especially the omega-3 fatty acid DHA. More specifically, the human brain is made up of about 60% fats, and approximately half of that fat is DHA!
While both omega-6 and omega-3 are essential for vibrant health, many experts believe that the American diet consists of far too many omega-6s, and not enough omega-3s, which may increase the risk for a host of illnesses such as depression, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and even asthma.
Moreover, research has linked ADHD to a lack of omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, it appears that those who suffer from ADD/ ADHD are often deficient in DHA, an omega-3 essential fatty acid that is said to play a critical role in brain development and proper brain functioning. For this reason, some experts recommend sufferers of this disorder to increase their intake of omega-3 fatty acids such as taking fish oil for ADD or ADHD, meaning fish oil supplements. Indeed, in the "perfect world" we would be able to get all the omega-3s we need for vibrant health by eating cold water fish three times a week. Unfortunately, we don't live in a "perfect world" which is why taking supplemental fish oil for ADD or ADHD is sometimes recommended by experts.
But wait, there's more interesting info about fish oil...
Researchers at the University of South Australia did a study testing a combination of omega-3 fish oil and omega-6 evening primrose oil on 132 ADHD children over a period of 15 to 30 weeks. The supplement was called eye q.
Children were divided into three groups for the first 15 weeks of the study. One group took supplement eye q; the second took supplement eye q and a low dose multi vitamin/mineral supplement and the third group took a placebo. For the second 15 weeks, the children on the placebo took supplement eye q and multi vitamin/mineral supplement.
At the end of the 30 week period, the two 30-week fish-oil groups showed a 40-50 percent improvement in behavior and a 30-40 percent improvement was shown for the 15-week group. In fact, compared with results of studies of the two most often prescribed drugs for ADHD, Ritalin and Concerta, they found that fish oils were more effective.
Another interesting point in regards to fish oil for ADD or ADHD...
According to the well renowned tome "The Natural Physician's Healing Therapies" written by Mark Stengler, ND who states:
"Many school-aged children have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and their problems are sometimes related to nutritional imbalances. (Excess sugars and some additives in junk food have particularly been blamed.)
Essential fatty acids such as DHA are critically important for proper brain function, but- well, how many children do you know who eat fresh cold-water fish three times a week? When children aren't getting enough DHA and they're loading up on saturated fat, trans fatty acids, and omega-6 fatty acids from fast-foods, the inevitable result is a fatty-acid imbalance.
DHA supplementation has been shown to decrease aggression while a child is under stress. The DHA in fish oil helps to improve the chemical balance in the brain while giving the general benefits of omega 3 fatty acid supplementation." (Page 178.)
So, now you have the connection about fish oil for ADD and ADHD.
However, it's important that you must never stop taking any prescription medications for ADD/ADHD to use nutritional supplements, including taking fish oil for ADD or ADHD unless you talk to your doctor first.
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