Fish oil 'calms children better than Ritalin'

As Reported in the Daily Mail of the UK

A daily dose of fish oil is better at treating hyperactivity than Ritalin - the 'chemical cosh' linked to the deaths of children, stunning research has revealed.

Just six capsules a day of the naturally-occurring oil can vastly improve children's behaviour without any of the side-effects of Ritalin and related drugs.

The controversial drugs can cause heart problems, dizziness and insomnia and have been blamed for the deaths of nine children in the UK and dozens more in the US.

[...]

Last year, a study by Durham Local Education Authority showed that omega 3 can improve the brainpower and concentration of hyperactive children.

The latest findings, from the University of Adelaide, are the first to show that omega 3 fish oil may be better than medication at treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

The compound, which occurs naturally in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna, is responsible for a range of health benefits, from combating heart disease to boosting intelligence.

Despite this, most people eat just a fifth of the amount recommended for good health.

The Australian researchers looked at the effect of eye q (CORR) fish oil capsules on a group seven to 12-year-olds with ADHD.

Some were given the capsules, while others took a placebo or dummy capsule.

Within three months, the behaviour of those on the fish oils had dramatically improved and, by seven months, many of the children were less restless and doing better at school.

[...]

The researchers also compared their results to those from studies of Ritalin and Concerta and found fish oils are more effective, a Sydney conference on omega-3 will hear this week.

British experts said the research, which is to be published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (CORR), underlined the value of exploring alternative treatments to Ritalin.

The number of hyperactive children on medication is soaring, with a staggering 330,000 prescriptions written out each year, or 6,350 a week.

Nine British children have died after taking the drugs. Two died of heart problems, while others suffered illnesses including strokes and swelling of the brain. Dr Timimi, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at Lincolnshire NHS Trust, said: 'Drugs like Ritalin have considerable dangers associated with them, including insomnia, changes in personality and cardiotoxicity - they are bad for the heart and can cause heart attacks, strokes and sudden death.

'It must be preferable to that.'

See also this Case Study

Within days of starting medication for his ADHD, Nathaniel Gow suffered violent mood swings and lost his appetite.

Unable to sleep, the 13-year-old spent his days and nights mesmerised by computer games and was soon a shadow of his former self.

His mother, Rachel Gow, said: 'He stopped eating, he wasn't sleeping and I couldn't get him away from his PlayStation - it had a hypnotic effect on him. He was focusing on it but in a disturbing way.

'It was as if his soul had gone. He was a wide-eyed shadow of his former self.

'His mood swings were extreme - he went from being hysteria to uncontrollable anger to crying like a baby within minutes. Anything could set him off.

'He wasn't Nathaniel, he wasn't my son. It was frightening, I couldn't get to sleep at night. It was the worst thing in the world for a parent to go through.'

After four months of treatment with Concerta, which is similar to Ritalin, Mrs Gow, who is about to embark on a masters degree in psychology, heard of the benefits of eye q fish oil capsules.

Nathaniel, who attends a Sussex boarding school during the week and spends the weekends with his family in Wimbledon, south-west London, started taking six capsules a day.

Now, a year, on, his symptoms of ADHD have all but vanished.

Mrs Gow, 32, said: 'We've noticed a dramatic reduction in his hyperactivity, he is much happier, doesn't have the mood swings and his concentration has improved.

'As a child, he couldn't sit still for five minutes.

'He had no concept of boundaries. He would climb 20ft up a tree and dangle from the branches or we'd be walking down the aisle in the supermarket and he would start doing cartwheels.

'I couldn't do anything to stop him and he couldn't stop himself.

'Having that disappear for us is a dream.'

Of course, drug companies urge caution on going off of drugs like Ritalin. The idea of an inexpensive natural nutritional alternative to their expensive drugs is alarming. They have a profit margin to maintain.