Omega-3 fish oil supplements can improve attention in some youths with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study.

Share on Pinterest A new study finds that for some youths with ADHD, omega-3 supplements are just as good as medication.

ADHD is a condition in which a person presents a marked pattern of inattention or hyperactivity and impulsivity — or all of these symptoms — to a level that interferes with development and functioning.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are more than 6 million children with ADHD in the United States.

In the new study, scientists at King’s College London in the United Kingdom and China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan, investigated the effect of omega-3 fish oil supplements on cognitive function in youths with ADHD.

A recent Translational Psychiatry paper describes the new findings.

The investigation took the form of a randomized controlled trial and involved 92 youths with ADHD whose ages ranged from 6 to 18 years.

For 12 weeks, the youths received either high doses of the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or a placebo.

The results showed that of the participants who received the supplement, those who had the lowest levels of EPA in their blood showed improved focused attention and vigilance.

However, no such improvements occurred in participants whose blood levels of EPA were normal or high.

The research also identified some adverse consequences of taking omega-3 supplements. Individuals with high blood levels of EPA who took the supplement showed a rise in impulsivity.

The researchers suggest that these results point to a need for psychiatrists to take a personalized medicine approach when treating youths with ADHD.

“The omega-3 supplements only worked in children that had lower levels of EPA in their blood, as if the intervention was replenishing a lack of this important nutrient,” says senior study author Carmine M. Pariante, who is a professor in the Department of Psychological Medicine at King’s College London.

He and his colleagues warn that the findings should not be a reason for parents and carers to start giving youths omega-3 supplements without first consulting a doctor.