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New UK research suggests that
behavioral problems in children may respond to dietary supplements containing fatty acids.
The authors of a study published in
Pediatrics say the improvement is similar to that seen with stimulant drugs such as Ritalin.
Their research
randomized 117 children between 5 and 12 years of age with DCD to dietary supplementation with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids or placebo.
After 3 months the placebo group crossed over to active treatment for another 3 months.
The authors report that 'difficulties in attention and concentration as well as hyperactivity and impulsivity, fell markedly [in the experimental group], with the size of this effect being similar to the reductions usually achieved by stimulant medication'.
'Our research in this area has mainly focused on the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and seafood, because they are absolutely essential for brain development and function, but are often relatively lacking from modern diets in developed countries,' say the authors.
'It is now very important to see whether the same results could be achieved with dietary interventions in other children with
behavior problems attending mainstream schools,' they conclude.
Reference:
Richardson and Montgomery (2005)
The Oxford-Durham Study: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Dietary Supplementation With Fatty Acids in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder Pediatrics 115 (5) 1360-1365
Note from
Serafina Corsello, MD:
The medical literature is beginning to confirm scientifically what holistic physicians have known and done for 2 decades.
Researchers have to limit themselves to just one condition at a time and it will take decades before a whole
array of related neurological disorders of children will be given permission to be treated with natural remedies.
It is tragic that we continue to debate issues of physiological common sense while our children are been poisoned.
EFA (essential Fatty Acids ) are just one
albeit important component in the treatment of many neurological disorders of children.
Much can be done to avoid the usage of toxic pharmaceutical products.
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