Adding fish to diet may be oil

FATTY acids in oily fish could provide a new way to combat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.

Characterised by hyperactivity, impulsiveness and a difficulty in paying attention, ADHD is most commonly treated with stimulants such as methylphenidate (sold under names including Ritalin), that have been shown to reduce symptoms.

But a new, natural treatment could be on the cards, according to a study by King’s College London and China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan.

Previous research has shown that children with an omega-3 deficiency are more likely to have more severe ADHD.

For this study, 92 children with the disorder, aged six to 18, were given high doses of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA or a placebo for 12 weeks. The children with the lowest pre-existing blood levels of omega-3 showed improved attention and vigilance after taking the EPA supplements – outdoing even the improvement previously been seen in studies with methylphenidate.

However, researchers warned the same improvements were not seen in children who had normal or high blood levels of omega-3. In children with the higher levels, the treatment even had a negative effect on impulsivity symptoms.

‘Our results suggest that fish oil supplements are at least as effective as conventional pharmacological treatments among those children with ADHD who have omega-3 deficiency,’ said Dr Jane Chang, the co-lead researcher at King’s College London.

‘On the other hand, it is possible to have