By Deborah Williams
The
results from a recent British study show that low levels of DHA and
other omega-3s show are directly related to below average reading
ability and behavior concerns. The summary of this
study appears on the
National Institutes of Health’s US National Library of Medicine website.
The study, led by P. Montgomery and others at The Centre for
Evidence-Based Intervention at the University of Oxford, involved 493
students aged 7 to 9 who read below grade level.
Those students’ fatty acids levels were obtained from fingerstick
samples from each child. In addition to assessing fatty acids levels,
each child’s reading and working memory were assessed. Finally, a
behavior rating was done for each child as well. After controlling for
sex and socio-economic status, the researchers found the following:
- Lower DHA concentrations were associated with poorer reading ability and working memory performance
- Lower DHA concentrations were associated with higher levels of
parent rated oppositional behavior and emotional lability (likelihood to
change)
The implication of the study is for parents to consider supplementing
the diets of students with below average reading performance with DHA
and other Omega-3 LC-PUFA and/or with Omega-3 LC-PUFA found for ADHD,
Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, and related conditions.
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