Fish oil and children: the Durham trials

Research has revealed that if the brain does not get enough of the correct fatty acids, it will use sub-optimal replacement fatty acids and this can have a negative impact on the way the brain works. Consequently, fatty acid deficiencies are a factor worth considering in relation to learning difficulties and behavior problems in children.

The Durham, England, Local Education Authority was concerned about the increasing number of children who seemed to be underperforming due to an inability to focus and concentrate on a task for a prolonged period of time and tried to find out if supplementing their diets with omega 3 fatty acids could make a difference.

Dozens of schools and hundreds of children have already participated in various research trials related to fatty acid supplementation through fish oil. These trials, led by Dr Madeleine Portwood, are now known as the Durham trials and are receiving a great deal of media attention both in the UK and abroad for the dramatic effects that fish oil appears to have on the learning and behavior in the classroom. Until now, studies have been carried out in preschool, primary and secondary school children.

The Oxford Durham Study

The largest of these trials was carried out in 2002 and involved more than 100 primary school children from 12 different schools in the Durham area, all with developmental coordination disorders and some with additional problems related to concentration and learning. . This trial, known as the Oxford-Durham Trial, was carried out in collaboration with the Oxford-based Dyslexia Research Trust and Dr. Alex Richardson of the University of Oxford, an expert in fatty acids and the brain.

Children in the trial received either a daily fish oil capsule or a placebo and because the trial was double-blind, no one knew which child was given what. During the week, school staff administered the supplement to the children. Each child received six 500 mg capsules daily from Monday to Friday, each capsule containing either fish oil or a placebo. The parents gave the capsules to the children on weekends and assessments were made regularly throughout the trial.

It can take weeks for the effect of fatty acid supplementation to show, so the trial was conducted over a six-month period with half the children taking fish oil for the full 6 months and the other half taking a placebo for the first 3 months and fish. oil for the second 3 months.

In the first 3 months, those taking fish oil early on showed dramatic improvements in reading, spelling, and behavior with the placebo group showing similar improvements when they also started taking fish oil. In the original fish oil group, in the first 3 months, the average gain in reading was over 9 months and just over 6 months in spelling and they continued to show improvement beyond the first 3 months. When the placebo group switched to fish oil, they showed a gain in reading of over 12 months and over 6 months for spelling after just 3 months on fish oil.

The results of this trial have yet to be fully analysed, but early signs are “encouraging” and, according to Dr. Madeleine Portwood, up to 40% of children have shown significant improvements.

preschool test

Another Durham trial involved nursery children between the ages of 18 months and two and a half years, 47 of whom completed the trial. After 5 months, 91% of those who were very bad at the start of the trial had improved, and only 4% were still bad or very bad.

Similar improvements were seen in concentration levels, with 79% rating good or very good concentration levels after 5 months of supplementation. Language skills also improved significantly compared to control groups.

high school study

This study was done in 2004 and focused on how fatty acids might help high school kids with ADHD symptoms; the results were published in March 2006.

At the start of the trial, 94% had moderate to severe ADHD and the same score for inattention, and 89% had additional problems with impulsivity. After 3 months, ADHD and impulsivity scores were down to 28%, and inattention was down to just 17%.

Conclusion

The results of the Durham Trials appear to validate claims that the brain needs the right type of fatty acids to develop and function normally. The fish oil used in these trials was high in EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) Omega 3 fatty acids, which is believed to be the fatty acid primarily responsible for efficient brain function.

Fish oil is rapidly gaining recognition as an effective way to improve not only brain function, but also to reduce the risk of developing other health problems, so much so that the UK government is considering giving fish oil. to all school-age children to improve overall nutrition.