BY EDWARD HALLOWELL, M.D., KAY MARNER, TINA ADLER
MEDICALLY REVIEWED BY ADDITUDE’S ADHD MEDICAL REVIEW PANEL ON NOVEMBER 19, 2020
Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help with ADHD?
You know that fish contain nutrients that help prevent heart disease and other serious ailments. Now evidence is mounting that these same omega-3 fatty acids also optimize brain function. Among other things, omega-3s boost the body’s synthesis of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that ADHD medications act to increase.
So, could a daily fish oil capsule help curb the symptoms of ADHD?
Quite possibly, suggest several research studies on fish oil for ADHD — including a study published in Pediatrics. “A lack of certain polyunsaturated fatty acids may contribute to dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder,” reports one of the study’s authors, Paul Montgomery, D.Phil., a researcher in the psychiatry department at the University of Oxford in England.
For Montgomery’s study, schoolchildren were given fish oil supplements rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) for a period of three months. During this time, he children showed significant improvements in behavior, reading, and spelling.
How Much Fish Oil for ADHD Is Needed to Help Symptoms?
Given this finding, Montgomery has become a proponent of fish-oil supplements for children with ADHD. “People would be lucky if they could get their kids’ EFA levels up sufficiently by food choices alone,” Montgomery says. “I think supplementation with omega 3s is the only sensible way forward. One gram per day seems right for most children.”
Montgomery recommends choosing a fish oil supplement that contains a high ratio of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA) to omega-6 fatty acids (DHA). “The right ratio of 3s to 6s seems to be about four to one,” he says.
