Supplement of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may improve
reading skills of mainstream schoolchildren, according to a new study from
Sahlgrenska Academy, at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Children with
attention problems, in particular, may be helped in their reading with the
addition of these fatty acids.
The study included 154 schoolchildren from western Sweden in
grade 3, between nine and ten years old. The children took a computer-based
test (known as the Logos test) that measured their reading skills in a variety
of ways, including reading speed, ability to read nonsense words and
vocabulary.
The children were randomly assigned to receive either
capsules with omega-3 and omega-6, or identical capsules that contained a
placebo (palm oil) for 3 months. The children, parents and researchers did not
learn until the study was completed which children had received fatty acids and
which had received the placebo. After three months, all children received real
omega-3/6 capsules for the final three months of the study.
"Even after three months, we could see that the
children's reading skills improved with the addition of fatty acids, compared
with those who received the placebo. This was particularly evident in the
ability to read a nonsense word aloud and pronounce it correctly (phonologic
decoding), and the ability to read a series of letters quickly (visual analysis
time)," says Mats Johnson, who is chief physician and researcher at the
Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of
Gothenburg.
No children diagnosed with ADHD were included in the study,
but with the help of the children's parents, the researchers could identify
children who had milder attention problems. These children attained even
greater improvements in several tests, including faster reading already after
three months of receiving fatty acid supplements.
Polyunsaturated fats important for the brain
Polyunsaturated fats and their role in children's learning
and behavior is a growing research area.
"Our modern diet contains relatively little omega-3,
which it is believed to have a negative effect on our children when it comes to
learning, literacy and attention," says Mats Johnson. "The cell
membranes in the brain are largely made up of polyunsaturated fats, and there
are studies that indicate that fatty acids are important for signal
transmission between nerve cells and the regulation of signaling systems in the
brain."
Previous studies in which researchers examined the effect of
omega-3 as a supplement for mainstream schoolchildren have not shown positive
results, something Mats Johnson believes may depend on how these studies were
organized and what combination and doses of fatty acids were used. This is the
first double-blind, placebo-controlled study showing that omega-3/6 improves
reading among mainstream schoolchildren.
"Our study suggests that children could benefit from a
dietary supplement with a special formula. To be more certain about the
results, they should also be replicated in other studies," says Mats
Johnson.
The article Omega 3/6 fatty acids for reading in children: a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 9-year-old mainstream
schoolchildren in Sweden was published by The Journal of Child Psychology and
Psychiatry.
No comments:
Post a Comment