Research
points to the significance of dietary omega-3 intake and brain development, but
new evidence shows that omega-3’s may also help improve behavior issues in
children. A study published in The
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that a balanced diet and
supplemental omega-3 intake is linked to improved behavior in children.
The study was
conducted using a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial -- the gold standard
in research. Two hundred children between the ages of 8 and 16 were randomly
divided between two groups, a treatment group and a placebo group. The treatment
group drank a daily fruit drink with 1g of omega-3 and the control group drank
a daily fruit drink without omega-3 for six months. Participants and their
caregivers were asked to report behavior problems at the beginning of the
study, after six months of drinking the fruit juice and then six months after
they stopped drinking the fruit juice.
Results
showed that omega-3 supplementation decreased behavior problems in children
while taking supplementation. Participants and caregivers also reported that
behavior improvement continued in the six months after stopping the omega-3
drink.
Bottom line:
New research provides “initial evidence” that omega-3 supplementation may help
resolve behavioral problems in children; further research is needed to confirm
findings. omega-3’s are found in food sources such as fish, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil and
walnuts.
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