Written by Rachel Bartholomew BA (Hons), Dip ION, mBANT, CNHC, GHW 
30th August 2017

1. Omega-3 is needed for the growth of the brain

The brain grows at its greatest rate from birth up until about 2 years old, though development continues throughout childhood and adolescence. Over 60% of the brain is made up of fat and the Omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) makes up around 10-15% of this. DHA is necessary for the development of the sensory, perceptual, cognitive, and motor neural (nerve) systems during the brain growth spurt. The DHA-rich parts of the brain are thought to be responsible for activities such as planning, problem solving, and focused attention.1,2

2. Omega-3 fatty acid DHA supports brain function

DHA in particular is recognized as essential for normal brain function. It helps to improve membrane fluidity, which means that nerve impulses, or messages, are transmitted more effectively.   In animals, low brain DHA results in changes in behavior and is associated with learning problems and memory deficits. In humans, studies indicate that DHA supports normal IQ and preserves learning and memory.

A review of 7 different studies which reported on the results of DHA supplementation on school performance, found that 5 of the studies showed DHA improved school performance, including learning ability, reading and spelling.3

3. Omega-3 may improve reading and maths skills

Researchers at Oxford University studied children given 600mg omega-3 daily for 4 months. The results of this study, called the DOLAB study, showed that children in the bottom 20% for literacy boosted their reading age by 3 weeks more than the placebo group and those in the bottom 10%, by 1.9 months. Though more research is necessary to confirm or rule out these findings, the results indicate that omega-3 may be particularly helpful for those children with the poorest reading skills who are underperforming.4

In another study in Bradford, where pupils were given omega-3 fish oil on a daily basis, this resulted in 81% of pupils showing an improvement in reading, 67% in writing and 74% in Maths.

4. Omega-3 may improve childrens' sleep

Most parents (including myself!) are on a quest for a good night’s sleep for their children! The DOLAB study also investigated whether omega-3 supplementation could have a beneficial effect on sleep. The results showed that poor sleep is significantly associated with lower blood levels of DHA, and that DHA supplementation led to a reduction in the number of night time disturbances, as well as 58 minutes more sleep per night on average!5