New Research By King’s College Of London Shows Omega-3 Fish Oil Can Replace ADHD Drugs For Certain Children
Source: Thailand Medical News Nov 20, 2019 5 years, 1 day, 17 hours, 31 minutes ago
A new collaborative study by researchers from King's College London and China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan, have found
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 blood.
The medical researchers say their results bring a personalised medicine approach to psychiatry by demonstrating that
omega-3 only works for some
children with
ADHD. Previous research by the same group found that
children with
omega-3 deficiency are more likely to have more severe
ADHD.
During a randomised controlled trial, 92
children with
ADHD aged 6-18 were given high doses of the
omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) or a placebo for 12 weeks. The results are published in the journal
Translational Psychiatry.
The medical 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 medical researchers however 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 (though currently the blood test is only available for research purposes).
Past studies have found inconsistent findings of
omega-3 supplementation on
ADHD symptoms, with overall effect sizes being relatively small. Standard treatments offered to parents whose children have
ADHD include stimulants such as methylphenidate. The effect size of improvement in attention and vigilance from methylphenidate is 0.22-0.42. In comparison, the effect sizes in the trial of omega-3 supplementation for those
children with low blood-levels of EPA were larger, at 0.89 for focused attention and 0.83 for vigilance.
“Our results suggest that fish oil supplements are at least as effective for attention as conventional pharmacological treatments among those
children with
ADHD who have
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 c
hildren's psychiatrists since our study suggests there could be negative effects for some children.” commented Dr. Jane Chang, co-lead researcher from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psycholo
gy & Neuroscience at King's College during a phone interview with T
hailand Medical News.
Dr Carmine Pariante, a Professor and also senior researcher from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's, said: “The
omega-3 supplements only worked in
children that had lower levels of EPA in their blood, as if the intervention was replenishing a lack of this important nutrient. For those
children with
omega-3 deficiency, fish oil supplements could be a preferable option to standard stimulant treatments. Our study sets an important precedent for other nutritional interventions, and we can start bringing the benefits of 'personalised psychiatry' to
children with
ADHD.”
The research study was carried out in Taiwan where diets often contain plenty of fish compared to diets in Europe and North America. Most studies of children with
ADHD, conducted largely in Western countries, have shown average blood-levels of
EPA that are lower than in the current study.
“High blood-levels of EPA without using supplements can be achieved through a good diet with plenty of fish, which is common in some Asian countries like Taiwan and Japan. It is possible that EPA deficiency is more common among
children with
ADHD in countries with less fish consumption, such as in North America and many countries in Europe, and that fish oil supplementation could therefore have more widespread benefits for treating the condition than in our study.” commented Professor Kuan-Pin Su, co-lead researcher from China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan.
Parents are again reminded to consult their doctors or pediatric specialists before stopping existing
ADHD drugs, or replacing it with
Omega-3 supplements or even introducing
Omega-3 supplements to their
children.
Reference: Translational Psychiatry (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0633-0 , https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-019-0633-0 
