Omega 3 Even Good for Kids

July 18, 2005

NewsMax.com Wires

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

A daily dose of fish oils dramatically improves the behavior and concentration

of pre-school children, a new study reveals.

Children in the study took daily supplements of Omega-3 - polyunsaturated fats

found in significant amounts only in oily fish - and after just six weeks,

parents reported an improvement in the learning abilities of children as young

as 20 months old.

Research into the effect of fish oil supplements on older children has produced

positive results, but this is the first time the effect has been tested on

pre-school children.

Children were tested for their motor skills, IQ, reading, spelling and behavior,

and the study showed significant improvement even among toddlers who had been

disruptive and unable to concentrate.

The biggest improvements were noted in the children's behavior and

concentration.

The study, based in Durham, England, and associated with Oxford University, also

revealed a large reduction in symptoms associated with attention deficit and

hyperactivity.

" We saw children whose learning skills went from being six months below their

chronological age to absolutely normal in just three months, " said principal

researcher Dr. Madeleine Portwood.

Omega-3 fats make up a quarter of the gray matter in the brain. They're found in

the greatest amounts in salmon, mackerel, lake trout, sardines and albacore

tuna.

" Omega 3 is essential for healthy bodies and brain, " said Dr. Portwood.

" Increased consumption may contribute to improved learning. " Professor

Winston of Imperial College London, who has done substantial research on the

effects of fish oils on disruptive children, said the new study's results are

" extremely impressive.

" The evidence is getting ever stronger that children who have diets poor in

Omega-3 are not achieving their natural potential. "

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