DRT supported research has
demonstrated that many children with
dyslexia, developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia) or attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD- or combinations of these) can
benefit from taking fish oil
supplements. These provide the highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs)
that make up 20% of the weight of the brain. The omega-3 HUFA,
eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) is particularly essential for sharp brain
function because magnocellular neurones are especially vulnerable to
HUFA deficiency. But few people eat enough oily fish nowadays.
Recently the results of the Oxford-Durham study were published showing
that 3 months' supplemental fish oil capsules can help the reading,
spelling and concentration of children with dyspraxia to improve very
significantly (Pediatrics
2005, 115(5): 1360-66). Furthermore we have
noticed remarkable improvements in some of the children attending our
DRT clinics after we have recommended fish oil supplements.
These
are being quantified at the moment.
Such improvements don’t only apply to children however. People
often worry that once a
person becomes an adult their brain structure is fixed. But the brain
is continuously adapting and HUFAs
move in and out of nerve membranes quite fast. Any losses must
therefore be provided by the diet, because the body cannot manufacture
them by itself. So there is much anecdotal evidence that EPA
supplements
can also help adults. Bernard Gesch has recently joined our group, and
supported by the charity, Natural Justice which was set up by the late
Hugh Montefiore, he was able to show that simply adding fish
oils, minerals and vitamins to the
diets of young offenders can reduce their violence by
almost one third (British
Journal of Psychiatry (2002) 181, 22-8).
Also we are
now conducting a controlled
treatment trial of adding fish oil supplements to the diet of adult
dyslexics. This should enable us to identify the individuals who might
benefit from the supplements and hopefully explain the improvements
that they often experience.
