Fish Oil for ADHD?
Blended fish oil supplements taken for just three months brought dramatic improvements in symptoms of ADHD, severe impulsivity, and severe inattention, according to a study of 12-15 year olds with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The study, reported by the APA’s PsycPort, found a marked improvement in symptoms associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
According to this brief report — which notably did not include full details of the study’s design:
A pre-trial assessment of the students at Greenfield Community Arts College in Newton Aycliffe showed that 94% had moderate or severe ADHD. The students also had an inattention scale rating of 94% and a severe impulsivity rating of 89%.
After taking blended fish oil supplements for just three months there were significant improvements. Severe ADHD reduced to 28% as did severe impulsivity, and severe inattention fell to just 17% among the students.
Dr Madeleine Portwood, Durham local authority’s senior educational psychologist and lead researcher on the trials, welcomed the results, saying: “These trials were undertaken with a group of potentially vulnerable students with persistent behavioural difficulties and who were at risk of exclusion.”
“By taking the fatty acid supplement, those aspects of their behaviour which put them at risk of exclusion improved dramatically.
“With permanent school exclusions nationally having risen by 19% since 1999/2000, 68% of them among the 12-14 year old age group, our most recent trials suggest a clear route to improvement.”
So maybe there is something to the hypothesized fatty acid/fish oil - ADHD connection after all?
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This article was last reviewed by on Monday, 27th March 2006. You can leave a reply below.
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20 Responses to “Fish Oil for ADHD?”
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Nilda11
Hi! I just started researching about this for my four yr.old son. He is highly intelligent, but I think he may have ADHD. I am having trouble getting him to listen and to just stay still. It seems like he can not stop moving or talking!Anyway, I think this is a wonderful option, and I will like to know what dose should I give him. Any help will be greatly appreciated. -N.N. (Orlando, FL.)
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sally12
8-16 grams. That is a lot! Just read the labels. ad/hd is not diagnosed until age 6 with symptoms lasting 6 months. Please talk to your doctor before considering treatment for your 4 year old. We do not know what the long term results will be.
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Nilda13
Thank you for the info.
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sue14
My nine yr old daughter has adhd and we have tried just about every medication none of them have worked, they start out fine and then after a couple of weeks she right back the same way. I have been told that fish oil has helped some children with adhd. I need help she is falling way behind in school and i am at a dead end. and how much fish oil would be good for her she weighs about 65 pounds thank you
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Heidi Teachout15
I am looking for parameters on how much fish oil and what combination of fish oil to give my son who has been diagnosed bipolar and ADHD. He weighs 104 lbs
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Nicole16
Fish oil has done such great things for me. Yes indeed. I am 32 years old and struggled (past tense) with ADHD. Since I began taking it I am so much more productive. I can actually focus and finish tasks,my memory is wow! I’m not anxious anymore. I’m a better listener. I am so much happier. Truly a stronger woman!
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Bill Daker17
I have a 9 yr old son, who was diagnosed with adhd at the age of 7 we have been to and through different diagnoses, dr opinions. He is currently on multipule meds, including Focalin,Trileptal and stratera. We recently switched from Sams brand 1000mg of fish oil to to giving him liquid Fish oil [brand name removed] Kidz orangecream flavor. This brand is specifically formulated for kids. We have been on it now for one month with moderate results but anything natural in our opinion is far better than medicating a child with unknown long term results. Take a look at the PBS show frontline medicating children for adhd. It is very disturbing that the researh on these meds is so limited for children and with adhd it is all trial and error and this is not what we want or need. So we will keep at the fishoil for the next few months and hopefully we can begin eliminating the other meds. Best of luck.
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Natasha18
i have a 9 year old son with inattentive type adhd and is 3+ yrs behind school work etc. i feel drugs are wrong as it will be my fault if he has side affects. (after all he never asked to go on the drugs in the first place) from reading this web site fish oil will be tried and not drugs. any advice would be great. thank you
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Melinda19
My son (almost 9 years old) was diagnosed with adhd this week, after doing some research I decided it was not a good idea to put him on meds. His grades have always been good, but I have gotten notes sent home about his behavier since kindergarten. I am going to try the fish oil thing and hopefully that will work. Thanks for the info everyone.
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Kathy20
My son is 13 years old, he is 135lbs and 5ft5′ tall. He has luckly not had a problem with growth on all the different meds I have had him on. But, he is failing school even in a special program, he is big, tempered and has all the other symtoms of ADHD. What kind of dose would I be looking at putting him on to try this? He has been off his meds since November 2008 because he refuses to take them. When I spoke to him about this he was excited to give it a try. Can anyone help with the amount of this and is it just omega 3 he needs to be taking?
Thanks Kathy
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