Fish oil 'does help difficult children'

Gosh, this is good news! I was already having my LD child take fish oil (and my husband and myself), but now I need to somehow bribe an older one to take it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3#Consumption

“Proposed Role of Omega-3’s in the Brain

This article or section does not cite its references or sources.

You can help Wikipedia by introducing appropriate citations.

Omega-3’s are definitively known to have membrane-enhancing capabilities in brain cells.[citation needed]. One medical explanation is that omega-3’s play a role in the fortification of the [b]myelin sheaths[/b]. Not coincidentally, omega-3 fatty acids comprise approximately eight percent of the average human brain according to the late Dr. David Horrobin, a pioneer in fatty acid research[citation needed]. Ralph Holman of the University of Minnesota, another major researcher in studying essential fatty acids, surmised how omega-3 components are analogous to the human brain by stating that “DHA is structure, EPA is function.”[citation needed]

Consequently, the past decade of omega-3 fatty acid research has procured some Western interest in omega-3’s as being a legitimate ‘brain food.’ Still, recent claims that intelligence quota and verbal reasoning skills are increased on account of omega-3’s consumed by pregnant mothers remain unreliable and controversial. An even more significant locus of research, however, lies in the role of omega-3’s as a non-prescription treatment for certain psychiatric and mental diagnoses and has become a topic of much research and speculation.

Dr. Andrew Stoll and his colleagues at Harvard University were among the first to accomplish the testing of such hypothetical research through a 1999 double-blind placebo study done with thirty patients diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. This experiment was designed for nine months. He rendered his results by affording olive oil capsules to fifteen placebo control subjects and nine grams of pharmaceutical-quality EPA and DHA supplements to the fifteen others. In doing so he was able to make the general distinction between the placebo group failing to improve while the Omega-3 group experienced a noticeable degree of recovery. Though Stoll believes that the 1999 experiment was not as optimal as it could have been and has accordingly pursued further research, the foundation has been laid for more researchers to explore the theoretical association between absorbed omega-3’s and signal transduction inhibition in the brain.[citation needed]”

I’m particularly interested in this part:

“Omega-3’s are definitively known to have membrane-enhancing capabilities in brain cells. One medical explanation is that omega-3’s play a role in the fortification of the myelin sheaths.”

I wonder if anyone can relate to my son’s description, some years ago, of suffering from “electricity in his head”. If the myelin sheaths are like insulation on the wires, imagine if yours were thin, patchy or non-existent? Might you feel like you had electricity in your head?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myelin),

“The main consequence of a myelin layer (or sheath) is an increase in the speed at which impulses propagate along the myelinated fiber. Along unmyelinated fibers, impulses move continuously as waves, but, in myelinated fibers, they hop (or “propagate by saltation”). Myelin increases resistance by a factor of 5,000 and decreases capacitance by a factor of 50. Myelination also helps prevent the electrical current from leaving the axon and causing a short-circuit in the brain. When a peripheral fiber is severed, the myelin sheath provides a track along which regrowth can occur. Unmyelinated fibers and myelinated axons of the mammalian central nervous system do not regenerate.

Demyelination is a loss of myelin and is the root cause of symptoms experienced by patients with diseases such as multiple sclerosis and transverse myelitis. The immune system may play a role in demyelination associated with such diseases. Heavy metal poisoning may also lead to demyelination. When an axon’s myelin degrades due to these diseases, conduction can be impaired or lost.

Research is currently being undertaken to repair damaged myelin sheaths. These techniques include surgically implanting oligodendrocyte precursor cells in the central nervous system and inducing myelin repair with certain antibodies. While there have been some encouraging results in mice, it is still unknown whether this research will provide a cure for demyelination-related diseases.

Other research implicates exogenous and endogenous glycations and Advanced Glycation Endproducts are important in the age-related destruction of myelin, particularly in peripheral neuropathy (Vlassara, et. al. 1985)(Thornally 2002). It is reasonable to suspect that all nerves, especially high activity nerves such as the sensory nerves in the eye and ear, are similarly affected. Until effective therapies are developed, dietary restriction of exogenous AGEs and strongly glycation forming sugars, such as fructose and galactose, is the best available approach.”

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactose

“Metabolic disorders
There are 4 important disorders involving galactose [found in dairy products]:

Galactokinase deficiency causes cataracts and mental retardation. If a galactose-free diet starts sufficiently early, the cataracts will regress without complications however neurological damage is permanent.

UDPgalactose-4-epimerase deficiency is extremely rare (only 2 reported cases). It causes nerve deafness.

Galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase deficiency is the most problematic, as galactose-free diets do not have considerable long-term effects.

Compulsive blinking disorder.”

Hey, who knows?

Over the past year, I have dedicated myself to researching and understanding how fatty acids, and more specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), can greatly and positively affect learning and behavior in children.

This journey has led to telephone and face-to-face meetings with some of the world’s greatest lipid neuroscientists, such as Dr. Basant Puri, Dr. Alexandra Richardson, Dr. Michael Maes and Dr. Matti Tolonen.

Although each has their specific theories as to how EPA helps lerning and behavior, all agree that a high EPA, low DHA supplement should be part of every LD child’s diet.

I have chronicled my research in a specialized blog, Fattyacidtrip.com. For information specific to children, please see [url]http://www.fattyacidtrip.com/category/childrens-behavior-and-learning/[/url].

I have worked very hard to evaluate and obtain high-quality EPA fish oils, which are currently unavailable in US stores. I am making these available to other parents through this link: [url]http://www.fattyacidtrip.com/about/how-to-buy/[/url]. These oils represent the highest EPA:DHA ratios found worldwide and are developed by reputable, research-based companies.

I hope you’ll find this information beneficial to you or your child. Feel free to contact me via the Fattyacidtrip Contact Form with any questions you might have.

/meljgrey

meljgrey,

You posted what seems like an advertisement for special fish oil products, available for sale on your site, that have high EPA (Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fish oils [b]NORMALLY [/b]have higher EPA than DHA).

Your blog offers articles to support your claim that EPA on its own is better than ordinary omega-3 fish oil. Well, one article at least. I reproduce part of that below:

[b][i]”To find out whether DHA supplements would help such children, we gave a large group of AD/HD children either a placebo or a capsule containing DHA daily for 4 months while the children kept taking their usual stimulant drugs as prescribed (except for 24 hours before lab tests).

Their blood was tested for fatty acid levels before and after the study. In addition, parents completed behavioral assessment forms, and the children took tests to evaluate attentiveness, impulsiveness, and problem- solving ability.

The results indicate that DHA was ineffective in alleviating symptoms of AD/HD in these children. In fact, scores on a test indicating inattention worsened significantly in the DHA-treated but not in the placebo group and scores on a test indicating impulsivity improved in the placebo but not the DHA group.”[/i][/b]

That doesn’t seem like a very scientific experiment. Testing children who were permitted to continue taking their usual stimulant drugs as prescribed (except for 24 hours before lab tests).

What does “as prescribed” mean?

Were all subjects taking drugs and the same drugs?

Could the stimulant drug-taking have interfered with the potential benefits of the DHA?

Could stopping stimulant drugmedication 24 hours before the testing have contributed to the results?

Could separating the DHA out of the Omega-3 fish oil have had an adverse effect?

Why did you add a comment to the bottom of the same blog post, to the effect that similar tests using EPA had the opposite results, without providing any reference or back-up for making that claim? Can you now provide that reference?

Another article points to tests carried out in Durham, England. More can be read about all facets of those tests at:

http://www.durhamtrial.org/

Nowhere does it state that any attempt was made to differentiate between the benefits of EPA and DHA - both being alluded to as components of the beneficial Omega-3. Nowhere does it state that the EPA:DHA ratio of the oils was artificially increased or tampered with. However, the post on your blog, headed “The Middlesborough Trial”, surrounds a quote from the actual article with comments from you that seem to suggest, to me anyway, that the experiment’s lead researcher, Madeleine Portwood, had made the distinction between these two components. Again, [b]she made no such distinction.[/b]

[b]Can you tell me where we can reference that this experiment used “high-EPA supplementation”?[/b]

[b]Can you point us to any hard scientific evidence that proves the benefits of using “high-EPA supplementation” over ordinary omega-3 containing fish oils?[/b]

Thank you for taking a look at the site, Brian. It has certainly been a labor of love.

Rest assured, between shipping costs, slim margins, hosting fees, long-distance calls to Europe and time away from my work, this is not a money-maker for me. In fact, I only recently added the opportunity for people to purchase because I have been bombarded by requests to do so.

That being said, I certainly appreciate your skepticism.

I cannot comment on the thought behind any of the studies mentioned, as I was not involved in their design. I can certainly say that it is the consensus of those involved in treating children with learning, behavior and attentional difficulties (Dr. Alex Richardson, Dr. Basant Puri and more) that high-EPA supplementation helps. And high-EPA supplementation does not negate the presence of DHA, but rather the ratio of between it and EPA.

Here are some links that may help you in understanding their thinking and the science behind it:
[list]
http://www.fabresearch.org/view_item.aspx?item_id=456&list_id=list1-85&list_index=1&add_cat=Fact%20Sheet

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6689812.html

http://www.ness-foundation.org.uk/N-3-Fatty-Acid-Mechanisms.htm

http://www.minami-nutrition.com/prof_literatuur/KAVA_EN.pdf?PHPSESSID=1fc1c7fd2fd54aff5af96875fb8ee793
[/list:u]
I know very specifically and personally of a child whose professionally-measured visual tracking and convergence metrics improved 96% after taking a high-EPA oil. (He had previously taken a typical “drugstore” fish oil.) He went from reading 1-2 pages a night with complaint to 40 or 50 pages voraciously. The words stopped “swimming” on the page. Whereas he was once labeled “dyslexic”, he is now considered to be “above grade level” in reading.

This child experienced other benefits: His quality of sleep improved as did his ability to concentrate. A fluke? Possibly, but these results have been typical of the children I work with.

The bottom line: The information on my blog is free. You may do with it what you wish. You have no obligation to purchase, subscribe or otherwise.

I have seen children’s lives change because of the research of Drs. Puri, Richardson, Horrobin, Maes, Peet and others. I choose to illuninate their work because I feel they have done a poor job of sharing their knowledge stateside.

These academics are not out to push a productm, but to further scientific understanding. Is it a nascent field? Certainly. But its a promising one nonetheless.

Best wishes,

/mjg

I find it interesting that the only facet of your site/recommendations that you seem to find necessary to specifically defend is the part that involves whether or not you make a good profit on selling these supplements. I think you’ll find that most people who read these posts have no problem with the concept of free enterprise and that they don’t consider “turning a profit” to be evil.

I, however, am more concerned about my own potential for making a loss through purchasing your products. One way I could make a loss is if I buy them and they don’t work.

It seems clear to me that you are attempting to promote EPA (which is a component of omega-3 fish oils) over ordinary fish oils. Specifically, that you are attempting to show that it is the EPA component that may help alleviate “ADHD” symptoms and that the DHA component may, in fact, do more harm than good in these cases. Therefore, you recommend that children with “ADHD” take “high-EPA supplementation”. I hope I have read you correctly on these points. Some of the articles on your web site point to studies that show benefits obtained from fish oil supplement.

I asked why a number of articles on your site appeared to deal with “Fish oils” but had editorial comments that, at first, made me think they were dealing with “high-EPA supplementation”. You chose not to provide an answer.

I had asked that you provide scientific proof for the efficacy of EPA as a treatment for ADHD. You provided 4 links. I checked them and found them lacking in pertinent proofs to support your claims. At best, they provided studies on the value of use of EPA alone over DHA alone, without really saying anything about the value of a natural ratio of both - as found in, say, fish oils. To give an idea of how the leap to EPA benefits is made, consider the following from the 4th link provided:

[i]”In the Purdue study of 50 children with ADHD symptoms, supplementation with a combined formula ([b]80 [/b]mg EPA, [b]480 [/b]mg DHA, 96 mg GLA and 40 mg AA/day) over 4 months produced significant increases in AA, EPA, DHA and vitamin E in the cell membranes of the red blood cells. This change in fatty acid composition of the cell membranes was linked to positive changes in behaviour.

Two other studies in which (for 4 and 2 months) only DHA (345 mg/day and 500 mg/day) was administered to (63 and 40) children with ADHD did not give any indications of an improvement in the symptoms. On the contrary, the placebo group displayed better results.

Because supplementation with EPA+DHA does produce improvements while supplementing with DHA does not, current research is focusing mainly on EPA as a therapy for ADHD.”[/i]

I find that last paragraph surprising. Although it contradicts the previous paragraphs by discounting two components of the beneficial formula, it says, in effect: [b]A[/b](EPA) + [b]B[/b](DHA) + [b]C[/b](GLA) + [b]D[/b](AA) produced results, while [b]B[/b] alone did not, therefore research is concentrating on [b]A[/b] alone. Why not on A + B + C + D? Why not D alone or C alone? Why not A + C + D? Need I go on?

So, in reading the articles on your web site and in the links you offered in your last post, I still haven’t found any hard proof that supplementing with EPA alone is any more beneficial to children diagnosed as suffering from “ADHD” than supplementing with ordinary cod liver oil or eating fish itself.

I believe that you are in the EPA supplementation business, given that you have a web site that offers these products for sale and that you are promoting those products here. Whether you are making a good profit or not is irrelevant to me. What I need is proof that the products you are offering for sale here actually work. As a poster who has been subjected to your advertisement, I feel I am within my rights to ask for some. You are within your rights not to provide any. However, if you don’t provide that proof, what should I think about your “labor of love”?

When I was first introduced to the idea of fish oil supplements, the people telling me about it were recommending $40 a bottle fish oil. I am always a comparison shopper, and the information I found, including that from Consumer’s Reports, indicated that the purity level of some low priced fish oil was just as good as that of the expensive brands. So we buy ours at Sams or WalMart. Leiner Health Products makes a lot of the brands you see in stores, and they are supposed to be safe.

One of the things I found interesting in going through the links given above was that it’s not so much that the scientists believe that children exhibiting “ADHD” symptoms can find relief in [b]extra [/b]amounts of whatever’s good in fish oils, but that the children are deficient in the fatty acids in the first place, compared to non-“ADHD” children. A couple of them cite lists of signs of deficiency (again, who knows if this stuff is actually proven, but it could be worth a try supplementing with fatty acids {ordinary fish oils} if your child is displaying enough of these signs):

[i]”There are many potential causes of behavioural and learning difficulties; and for any individual, all such avenues should be investigated. For these reasons, fatty acid supplements cannot be expected to help in every case, but potential indicators of a good response to this approach include:

Physical signs of fatty acid deficiency (excessive thirst, frequent urination, rough or dry ‘bumpy’ skin, dry, dull or ‘lifeless’ hair, dandruff, and soft or brittle nails)
Allergic tendencies (such as eczema, asthma, hayfever etc.)
Visual symptoms (such as poor night vision, sensitivity to bright light, or visual disturbances when reading - e.g. letters and words may appear to move, swim or blur on the page)
Attentional problems (distractibility, poor concentration and difficulties in working memory)
Emotional sensitivity (such as depression, excessive mood swings or undue anxiety)
Sleep problems (especially difficulties in settling at night and waking in the morning)”[/i]

[i]”External characteristics of fatty acid deficiency:
excessive thirst
frequent urination
very dry skin and dry hair
anxiety and/or fits of anger
sleep problems (problems falling asleep and waking up)
eczema, asthma and other allergies”[/i]

Potential side effects may include winning a bronze in the 2012 Olympic breast stroke finals, making bubbles and enhanced acceptance in schools.

One thing I would like to reiterate concerning the use of fish oils is to carefully read the labels. If you are using a product like Cod Liver Oil, you must be careful with how much you give, because CLO is high in Vitamin A, absolutely necessary to the body in moderate amounts, but highly liver-toxic in large amounts, especially with chronic use.

Another factor is ther fact that fish oils are made from fish, many species of which have bioaccumulated mercury, PCB’s and other toxins. Some makers take the extra step to filter out as much of this bad nasty as possible, others apparantly do not or you can be certain their marketing dept. would have it included on the label. Supplements are not regulated to the degree that medications are, so perhaps a little independant testing would be in order to see if the claims are in fact truthful (and damn me for being eternally skeptical of corporations!).

As always, discuss things with your dr. and read up on available research and testimonials (good and bad). Oh yeh, and should you find out anything interesting, be sure to spread the word ;)

Consumer Reports had an article a couple of years ago. You have to subsribe to their site to access it. But the Sam’s, Walmart, and Cotsco brands were considered safe and among the least expensive.

On the subject of selecting and using fish oils, Dad wrote:

[i]”As always, discuss things with your dr.”[/i]

I don’t I agree with that advice. Since we’re dealing with proven-safe-enough OTC fish oils, where does that guy come in? Should we discuss our entire grocery list with him? How come that guy gets to have a say in every little thing we do for our own health or put in our mouths? Surely, people are intelligent enough to research for themselves the pros and cons of adding a few mgs of fatty acids to their diet? Should we also enter conclave prior to buying olive oil (omega-6)? If you’re very worried about heavy metals in fish (or vegetarian) use flaxseed oil for your omega-3 needs.

I say, start now to try to eliminate your dr. from your life (surely that’s [b]his [/b]ultimate goal also?), especially for the parts where he is clearly guessing and then presenting a bill for his services. Whatever you do, don’t start inventing reasons for giving him more money.

I wonder what Dad would suggest we do if the dr. says he doesn’t agree with fish oil supplements, that their a waste of money, but to keep on taking the Ritalin. Follow the advice blindly?

I may only represent an experiment of one but I’ve found that the less I see doctors the less I need to see them, and the less pills, of any description, that I take, the less pills I need. I am never sick and I’m never going to be sick. My dog sometimes gets sick and he eats grass or fasts and rests. We both have nice shiny coats. A medicine cabinet and the existence of “your doctor” represent self-fulfilling prophesies. I believe the damage to natural immune systems caused by shoring them up on antibiotic and other crutches, from an early age and throughout life, will soon manifest itself, if it hasn’t already begun to do so.

Humans, if they don’t check themselves, invariably tend towards ritual in all life areas. All that doctor office routine, paraphenalia and jargon is comfortable for them. People are being “cared for” by “experts” and it’s all very sacred. How many of us have ever heard a doctor say: “You know what, I have no clue what’s wrong with you, so I’m not going to mess around prescribing stuff.” Surely, from time to time they don’t have a clue? Why don’t they own up to that? A hoodoo for the voodoo? All I see is a business that revolves around the existence of plenty of sick people and treatments of symptoms. If enough people got healthy (the normal human state), business would bust. If your ritual is, perhaps, a little too cosy, you might want to find a doctor who practices in a cold, sterile, efficient environment. You’ll save money in the long run as your “church” visits diminish.

Being “cared for” begins at home. Head off the need for that visit by living correctly. Go to a doctor when you actually need one. And, by all means, consult with your own body as far as which supplements and/or changes your diet might require (a good time to do so is in the dentist’s office when your tongue is asleep). And try to move around a little each day.

So, the bottom line is basically [b]ignore all of this post along with all other individual guesswork into your health[/b] that doesn’t have the benefit of personal case intuition.

I may go for a run later, but I’m certainly not going to discuss the advisedness of doing so with a guy who thinks exercise should involve the driving of an electric cart during some kind of stressful competition between egos.

Well, after visiting a friend in the hospital yesterday who is there because he was overprescribed medication when he was in the hospital 2 weeks ago, I may have to agree with Brian that it is not always safer to get medication advice from a doctor!

Just because something is OTC does not mean it is completely safe to use by persons who can open the bottle but may be unable to read the label. Tylenol is an excellent example; used as intended it is an incredible medication, used in excess it is highly liver toxic. Some fish oils contain large quantities of Vitamin A, which is absolutely necessary for good health when taken within guidelines, but which can destroy the liver if taken in large amounts. Many people cruising the internet are bombarded with claims about medicines, proceedures and even OTC supplements which are not only false, but can be highly detrimental if followed instead of seeking medical advice from a competant professional.

Are you prepared, Brian, to guarantee that fish oil will NOT interact with a prescription medication someone else who reads this may be taking? If the doctor does not know you are given your child daily supplements, type and quantity, how are they going to be able to counsel you on other medical issues that may hinge on what you or your loved one are doing outside of the dr.’s office?

It is foolish at best NOT to keep your primary care physicians informed of what we are doing regarding supplements. Do not let your personal experience with regards to one classification of medication to cloud your judgement about the profession as a whole.

No Dad, I can’t guarantee that, nor did I claim to be able to, and I did ask people to ignore my post and instead take responsibility for their own health. Can you guarantee that the toothpaste you buy for your child won’t react badly with any medication your child is taking? Will you be running that by your doctor? We can’t guarantee everything or anything, but we don’t have to live in an imaginary minefield created by our own fears either.

My post was not a call for people to abandon family doctors, but to stop placing blind trust in them and trying to shift the responsibility for their own, and their children’s, health decisions on to those doctors (it won’t shift - it’s always yours unless you’re unconscious or in a coma). It was a call to read labels (will the doctor also be present when you dole out the prescribed medication at home?) and do a little research. It was a call to stop and think a minute, and ask if all the running around and striving and bad living, and popping pills to hold it all together, is necessarily the right way.

My suspicion is that doctors in our society have a vested interest in maintaining the pill culture. Without pills, what would they do? What would they tell you to do? What could they offer you? Pertinent to this forum, my suspicion is that there is no hurry to get 2.5 million children off “ADHD” medication. I don’t know what the average monthy cost of the average “ADHD” pills is, but whatever it is, multiplied by 2.5 million = lots and lots and lots. Since the US drives the medication trends for the rest of the world, there are many more big bucks to be made globally on that particular gravy train.

What I’m against is placing such a fallible group on such a high pedestal that people should be expected to consult them for every single health decision and swallow every morsel of their sage advice with their pills. Like teachers and all other professional groups, I’ve only ever come across the odd one or two who are really any good at what they do. Most are just phoning it in.

People fix their own automobile brakes. A mistake could cost them their lives and the lives of their children. Should we recommend that they all consult a professional or may people still fix their own brakes? If you have a car, learn how to maintain it. If you have a computer, learn a little about basic troubleshooting. If you have a body, find out how it functions and apply a little common sense to its care. Nobody ever learned anything about their car, computer or body by putting any of them in the shop for repairs. What you learn is how much it costs to fix something you’ve never heard of and can’t be quite sure actually exists.

My answer to the thing you asked me to guarantee is that if fish oil may reasonably be expected to possibly react badly with it, you probably shouldn’t be taking it. That’s just my personal unqualified opinion. Given the choice, I’d dump the medicine and continue with the fish oil - but that’s just me.

The other thing I’d dump is any fear of living. You’re born, you live and you die. You can’t avoid making mistakes (nor should you want to if you’re open to learn) and some bad stuff is sure to happen along the way - depending on how your perspective training is coming along.

So, you might as well live dangerously. Mix fish oil with prescription meds without permission. Or dump the meds and let your child bounce around freely, squeaking and squawking the while. The risk you take is surely worth the exhilaration you’ll feel at flying in the face of both the fates and the professionals.

Note: I make no official statement here as to whether this course of action will do your heart good or not.

Hi DAD,
For a simple solution, I eat fish daily. Deep sea fish are the ones with Omega3’s. I have salmon and sardines.
Simple and safe.
Geoff.

Eating fish is quickly becoming a trade off. Salmon has shown to be high in PCB and related chemicals, with farm raised being 3 times as high as wild (Alaskan has tested the cleanest, so read the lables) Sardines, as far as I have read so far are probably the cleanest fish mass marketted (I recking that the Southern Hemisphere produces less toxic waste than the Northern, anda large majority of sardines are harvested from off the coast of Chili and Peru).

I like sardines (especially in hot sauce or mustard), but there is no way in heck you will get my boy to eat one. He will take a gel cap, so we can get the supplements down him.