Wonder pill that helps unruly teens sit still and learn

A POTENT wonder pill can radically improve the behaviour of unruly children, a study shows.

Schoolchildren who took a daily vitamin, mineral and omega- 3 supplement for 12 weeks behaved better in the classroom, research found.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking a healthy diet to good brain function.

Omega- 3 is a rich source of a substance called DHA, a crucial “building block” in the brain.

Experts believe it is vital for mental function but warn that today children eat almost no oily fish like the sardines and mackerels in which it is found.

Instead research shows a third of a teenager’s diet is made up of foods high in fat and sugar, such as sweets, crisps and cakes.

Professor John Stein, a neuroscientist from the University of Oxford, said: “Our modern diet is appalling and poor nutrition can prevent our brains working properly. The most important cause is decreased omega- 3 consumption.”

Researchers studied 196 13 to 16- year- old boys and girls at an east London comprehensive school.

One group took a daily “WellTeen” supplement and the other half were given a placebo pill.

Blood tests showed vitamin, mineral and omega- 3 levels were low at the start of the study but improved in the treatment group.

Discipline

Levels of discipline fell overall in both groups during the school term.

But classroom outbursts in especially badly behaved children fell by up to a half for those taking the tablets – suggesting that omega- 3 can protect against antisocial behaviour.

WellTeen pills have been developed by the UK’s leading vitamin company Vita- biotics especially for young adults and teenagers aged 13 to 19 years and include a comprehensive spectrum of micronutrients for all- round nutritional support.

The results have been published in the British Journal Of Nutrition.

Dr Jonathan Tammam, who led the study, said: “Our research adds to the growing body of evidence that nutrition can impact the cognitive health and behaviour of children.

“We found suggestive evidence that broadspectrum vitamin, mineral and omega- 3 supplementation might have a protective effect against antisocial behaviour.”

Dr Ian Campbell, a GP and diet and nutrition expert from Nottingham, said: “What this might demonstrate is many of our children are deprived of micronutrients in their regular diet and that’s deplorable and disappointing. If we improve their diet, there is no need for supplements.”