Omega-3s may play an important role in children’s neurobehavioral functioning—more specifically, addressing symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.
A recent randomised control trial showed that school-aged children struggling with hyperactivity and inattention saw significant improvements in cognitive performance, attention, and hyperactivity after supplementation with EPA and DHA, whereas children not receiving supplementation saw no changes.
Another study conducted with school-aged boys found that supplementing with EPA and DHA led to a significant reduction in symptoms of inattention. And importantly, these positive effects were observed in both healthy controls and subjects with a clinical history of inattention, suggesting that EPA and DHA can support attention in childhood, regardless of neurobehavioural status.
Still another area showing impressive benefits as a result of omega-3 supplementation is children’s cognition.
In one study, researchers found that the children whose mothers supplemented with a little over a gram of EPA and DHA during pregnancy scored significantly higher on intelligence tests at ages 2 and 4 than children whose mothers took a different type of polyunsaturated fatty acid during pregnancy.
Further evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can benefit later cognition comes from a Swedish study conducted with adolescent boys. Researchers found that boys who ate more than one serving of fish weekly at the age of 15 had higher scores in combined intelligence, verbal performance, and visual-spatial testing at age 18 than boys who ate fish less frequently. And importantly, this benefit in combined intelligence was independent of education level/socioeconomic conditions.
Find out more about high-quality Omega 3s for children’s wellbeing and development here.
