This is my 17th blog on Back to School (BTS) deals and ideas. In the last blog we see how to encourage kids to eat healthy food with lunch makeover.
This very nice research, this will shows one more benefit of Omega 3 in our diet.
In this blog you will see how Omega 3 Could Help Improve Children's Reading Skills. In my previous blog we saw how Omega-3 fatty acids are so essential to all around well-being of us.
What is Omega 3?
Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids. We need them for our bodies to work normally. Because essential fatty acids (ALA, DHA, and EPA) are not made in the body or are inefficiently converted from ALA to EPA and DHA, we need to get them from our diet.
There are many health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Research shows strong evidence that the omega-3s EPA and DHA can boost heart health and lower triglycerides. And there are studies showing that omega-3 fatty acids may help with other conditions -- rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and many more.
Type-Of Omega 3
There are several types of omega-3 fatty acids. Two crucial ones -- EPA and DHA -- are primarily found in certain fish. Plants like flax contain ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid that is partially converted into DHA and EPA in the body. Algae oil often provides only DHA.
Experts say that DHA and EPA -- from fish and fish oil -- have better established health benefits than ALA. DHA and EPA are found together only in fatty fish and algae. DHA can also be found on its own in algae, while flaxseed and plant sources of omega-3s provide ALA -- a precursor to EPA and DHA, and a source of energy.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Many Benefits
Blood fat [triglycerides]
According to a number of studies, fish oil supplements can also cut elevated triglyceride levels. Having high levels of this blood fat is a risk factor for heart disease. DHA alone has also been shown to lower triglycerides.
Cardiovascular health
Omega-3 fatty acids appear to lower the overall risk of death from heart disease. Fish oil may reduce arrhythmias, and people who take fish oil supplements after a heart attack cut their risk of having another heart attack. Eating fish once or twice a week seems to significantly lower the risk of stroke.
Rheumatoid arthritis
A number of studies have found that fish oil supplements [EPA+DHA] significantly reduced stiffness and joint pain. Omega-3 supplements also seem to boost the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs.
Depression
Researchers have found that cultures that eat foods with high levels of omega-3s have lower levels of depression. Fish oil also seems to boost the effects of antidepressants. Fish oil may help reduce the depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Prenatal health.
Studies show that EPA and DHA supplementation during pregnancy boost the health of pregnant women and the development of their children. DHA appears to be important for visual and neurological development in infants.
Asthma
Evidence suggests that a diet high in omega 3s reduces inflammation, a key component in asthma. However, more studies are needed to show if fish oil supplements improve lung function or reduce the amount of medication a person needs to control their disease.
ADHD
Some studies show that fish oil can reduce the symptoms of ADHD in some children and improve their cognitive function. However, more research is needed in this area, and omega-3 supplements as a primary treatment for this disorder are not supported by research.
Alzheimer's disease and dementia
The evidence is preliminary, but some research suggests that omega-3s may help protect against Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Recent studies have also evaluated whether the omega-3 supplement DHA can slow the decline seen in those with Alzheimer's dementia or in age-associated memory impairment. One recent study showed that DHA can be a beneficial supplement and may have a positive effect on gradual memory loss associated with aging. However, more research needs to be done.
New research from the UK suggests that taking a daily supplement of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, could be a simple and effective way to improve reading and behaviour in healthy but underperforming children. Alex Richardson, a senior research fellow at the Centre for Evidence-Based Intervention at Oxford University, and colleagues, report the results of the DHA Oxford Learning and Behaviour (DOLAB) study in a paper that was published online in the open access journal PLoS ONE on 6 September.
DHA stands for Docosahexaenoic acid, an important omega-3 fatty acid that is found in fish, seafood and algae (seaweed). The type Richardson and colleagues used in the DOLAB study comes from algae, making it suitable for vegetarians. People living in modern developed countries do not generally get enough essential omega-3 fatty acids, a lack of which is thought to contribute to a wide range of health problems, both physical and mental.
Omega 3 fish oils could help improve reading skills in under-performing children Some previous clinical trials have suggested omega-3 supplements could improve child behaviour and learning, but most of these have involved children with
neurodevelopmental disorders, for example ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and DCD (developmental coordination disorder). Richardson and colleagues set out to investigate whether such benefits might extend to children in the general population. To do this they designed a parallel group, fixed-dose, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that lasted for four months. With help from the County Council's Education Department, they identified 362 healthy 7 to 9 year-olds attending mainstream Oxfordshire primary schools and who had underperformed in standardized reading tests. The researchers compared the effect of taking daily supplements of omega-3 DHA with placebo.
The treatment dose was 600mg per day of omega-3 DHA from algal oil, or a taste and colour-matched vegetable oil placebo, which the children took for 16 weeks. During school days, school staff administered the capsules, and on non-school days the parents gave them to the children. Richardson told the press, Our results showed that taking daily supplements of omega-3 DHA improved reading performance for the poorest readers (those in the lowest fifth of the normal range) and helped these children to catch up with their peer group.The overall study sample comprised children whose initial reading ability was in the lowest third of the general population range. The study results showed that the treatment had no effect on this overall group. But, there was a significant improvement in reading ability in the children whose initial reading ability was in the lowest fifth of the general population range and who took DHA.
Children's reading age would normally increase by about 4 months over a 16 week period. The children whose initial reading ability was in the lowest fifth gained an extra 0.8 months if they took DHA rather than placebo. For those whose initial reading ability was in the lowest tenth, the improvement was an extra 1.9 months with DHA. Parents of children whose initial reading perfomance was lowest and who showed improvements also said they saw an overall improvement in their children's behavior. Funds for the study came from DSM Nutritional Products, who also provided the active and placebo supplements. The University of Oxford is now doing a similar DHA supplementation study with a larger group of underperforming children.
(Source- PLoS ONE)
