Omega 3 and ADHD - Assessment of Children with ADHD - Diet & Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega 3 and ADHD - Assessment of Children with ADHD - Diet & Omega 3 Fatty Acids
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Symptoms and Treatment for ADHD

Persons suffering from Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are chronically inattentive, uncontrollably impulsive and hyperactive. They show certain similar symptoms to other diseases which are caused by membrane essential fatty acid deficiencies. Some of the symptoms are those seen in diabetes and in inflammatory conditions where a prostaglandin imbalance is being suffered. Up to 24 percent of school aged children are diagnosed with this condition. Two thirds of those suffering childhood ADHD will continue to suffer similar symptoms as adults.

Here are some features of ADHD:

  • Birth weights of hyperactive kids are significantly lower than those of controls

  • ADHD children have frequent coughs and colds

  • Excessive thirst and urination is experienced by ADHD children

Levels of essential fatty acids were significantly lower in hyperactive children than in controls, in fact, Turkish studies showed a several fold lower level of free fatty acids and zinc in kids diagnosed with ADHD. The entire western population is to some degree essential acid deficient. Are ADHD children simply extreme examples of the general deficiency? Or, do they each tend to suffer metabolic limitations which make the deficiency that much more extreme in their case? Are the bodies of these children not able metabolize fatty acids normally or perhaps are they not absorbing fatty acids efficiently from the gut? All of these possibilities exist. Whatever the reason, however, the fact remains that EFA need to be raised in the bodily tissues of children who are suffering from the symptoms of ADHD.

The following symptoms provide clues as to the relationship of essential fatty acids and ADHD symptoms:

  • Most food constituents troublesome in Attention Deficit Hyperactive kids are weak inhibitors of the conversion of EFA to prostaglandins.

  • Boys are more commonly affected than girls. This is in keeping with the fact that boys normally have much higher EFA requirements than girls.

  • Many ADHD children have eczema, allergies, asthma (all of which can be alleviated by EFA supplementation, and which are inflammatory conditions that arise from essential fatty acid imbalance and a subsequent prostaglandin imbalance).

  • Many ADHD kids are deficient in zinc, a cofactor required in conversion of EFA to prostaglandins (the second clue that essential fatty acid deficiency is causing the ADHD condition via prostaglandin imbalance)

  • The abnormal thirst observed in these children is one of the signs of syndrome X, the symptomatic condition which precedes the onset of diabetes II in children or adults alike. Syndrome X involves poor cellular membrane structure which is results when an essential fatty acid deficiency exists. Insufficient levels of EFA in the structure of cell membranes lead to a loss of membrane fluidity, membrane enzyme activity, insulin resistance and membrane activity in general. Sluggish cell membranes such as these will interfere with all areas of cellular and metabolic function.

ADHD, Omega 3, and a Nutritional Approach to Cure

Clearly, essential fatty acid deficiency - particularly of Omega 3 essential fatty acids - is a major factor in the occurrence of ADHD in children and adults. Quite possibly inflammatory conditions in the body, nerve and brain cell membrane fatty acid and enzyme deficiencies, along with serotonin deficiencies (typical of the adult conditions of depression and violent/impulsive disorders), are all at play in this condition.

The essential fatty acid deficiency in ADHD, omega 3 in particular, has been shown to start at birth. This means that ADHD kids have suffered from depleted cell membrane chemistry from the very beginning of their lives. This type of depletion would be expected to influence different aspects of health, not just brain function. And, the fact is that typical health profiles of ADHD children reflect essential acid deficiencies in general not just with respect to brain function.

With proper EFA nutrition, how many of the children who have been diagnosed as ADHD would actually remain symptomatic? Clearly the first step to addressing ADHD is through nutritional means. Parents, teachers and doctors who deal with ADHD children would do a world of good if they learned how to make sure that correctly balanced and sufficient levels of ssential fatty acid nutrition was provided in the case of the children that they are trying to help.

Read the article, Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency: The Modern Nutritional Illness to learn more about how to address this in your own, and in your children’s, case. ADHD and omega 3 need to be put together in the study of the symptoms and treatment for ADHD. Also you can read How to Get Omega 3 Oils in Your Diet. Improving your omega 3 nutrition is not too difficult if you know what to look for and what to avoid.

References:

Gordon, Garry, M.D., D.O., M.D.(H.), Herb Joiner-Bey, N.D.(2004).The Omega-3 Miracle. Freedom Press, Topanga, CA