OK, it is too early to pop the corks yet, but this is the first step towards legitimizing what many in the online community have been reporting for years now. Essential fatty acids (such as found in cod liver oil, flaxseed oil and evening primrose oil) can and do have an impact towards increasing the level of functioning in some LD children.
Bear in mind that further testing will be required before this becomes accepted at alrge. Also remember that cod liver oil is very high in vitamin A which can be toxic to the liver in large dosages so be sure to work with your doctor about safe levels. For those who may be gluten intolerant, you may want to stay clear of flaxseed oil, as flkax can trigger gluten reactions. Oil of primrose may be the safest of the lot, but unfortunately it is also teh weakest in terms of teh essential fatty acids.
Still, hope springs eternal!
from FEAT:
Food Supplements ‘Improve’ Learning Ability
[By Polly Curtis at EducationGuardian.co.uk.]
http://education.guardian.co.uk/
Food supplements may prompt enormous improvement in the educational abilities of children with learning difficulties, a study has found.
The study, examining the effect of fish and vegetable extracts on the, concentration and learning levels of 120 six to 11-year-olds from 13 primary schools, is being run by Durham county council.
Researchers say it is already showing signs that food supplements bring enormous benefits for those with neuro-developmental disorders, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficiency hyper-activity disorder and autistic spectrum disorder.
Half of the children are being given daily supplements, while the
other half receive a placebo - neither group is aware of which they are taking. Each day, breathalyzers measure the levels of fatty acids in the children’s bodies.
Results so far have been marked. One child’s reading skills have improved by the equivalent of four years after just 12 weeks of taking the supplements.
Analysis at the halfway stage of the study has shown remarkable advances among some children - believed to be taking the supplements - while others, expected to be taking the placebo, have not shown any real improvement.
Although the results will not be confirmed until the full study is completed and it is revealed which children are taking the placebo, Dr Madelaine Portwood, a senior educational psychologist at the county council, who is leading the trial, has described the findings so far as a “landmark”.
She said: “The children’s social skills seem to be improving because they are more confident. They are becoming more socially interactive and perhaps this increases the motivation to learn.”
Dr Portwood said her 10-year-old son is taking the food supplements - which contain fish oil as a source of omega 3, evening primrose oil and vitamin A - and has shown a marked improvement.
“I wouldn’t give them to him if I did not feel they did him any benefit,” she said.
The study is being funded by the Dyslexia Research Trust in Oxford and the supplements are being provided by Equazen Nutraceuticals.
A spokesman for The Dyslexia Association said: “We are interested in all research which helps dyslexics. But we are keen not to raise people’s expectations at a so-called “cure”. We are also concerned that there should be proper research into the long-term effects and that such research is properly peer reviewed.
“We don’t believe there will be a cure, or that one exists at the moment. So-called cures can help some people and not others, so that needs to be taken on board. The so-called brain foods, or supplements, are understood to show improvements in concentration, but it is teaching in the classroom which consistently works.”
Results from the Durham study will be published in September.
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
Is the name of (or the exact contents of) the supplement given?
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
“We don’t believe there will be a cure, or that one exists at the moment. So-called cures can help some people and not others, so that needs to be taken on
board. The so-called brain foods, or supplements, are understood to show improvements in concentration, but it is teaching in the classroom which
consistently works.”
This is something I don’t quite comprehend. I saw the same thing when “the research showed” that kids “didn’t bounce off the walls after eating sugar.”
Somehow, it didn’t matter that *some* kids sure responded. Instead of viewing all that as statisitics and *only* statistics, how about trying to figure out who *would* benefit from a “so-called cure.”
And if the current classroom teaching conditions are what matters, how about changing those instead of looking for a supplement to make classrooms bearable?
(And how about doing more research on how cannabinoids reduce tics… oh, how politically inappropriate! Who cares about the cost to the humans.)
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
I have been giving my boys fish oil supplements for awhile now and for them it definitely works. It seems to help them think more clearly and focus better.
At the time I started giving it to them I knew nothing more than that my mother used to give it to us when we were kids, and my boys were such poor eaters that I just gave it as a vitamin supplement. I saw an almost immediate change in their ability to function inschool and in their behavior at home. Then I did research and discovered what it was all about. It’s not a cure but it sure helps. It may not work for everyone, but it sure worked for my boys.
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
Which specific type of oils are used and how much do you give in regard to the child’s weight.
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
Call 1 877 622 8292. They sell a product called Attend. It contains Over 20 fatty acids, 12 amino acids,pregnenolone, a “memory hormone” catechol, precursor to the major catacholamines Trans-cis-chloramide, flex seed powder ginko biloba GABA, DMAE, NADH, radix heraclie, gotu kola, Pycnogenol, and a bunch of other good stuff. I have not ordered any yet but I will soon and give it a try. I’m trying to figure out a way to test it. HTTP://www.vaxa.com/636.cfm is their web site. I think it is definately worth a try as it is safe to use. let me know if it works.
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
Many parents are using a supplement called Efalex, Coromega or one of several products from Nordic Naturals.
For lots of information go to www.drstordy.com or read her excellent book “The LCP Solution: The Remarkable Treatment for ADHD, Dyslexia, and Dyspraxia.” Her full name is Jacqueline Stordy. She reviews lots of the research and lots of the supplements available.
She explains why essential fatty acids are necessary for brain function and why so many of us are deficient.
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
You can’t OD on it. It’s not a drug. If your kid drank a whole bottle of Cod liver oil he’d probably get the runs. Cod liver oil doe contain lots of vitamin A wich in extremely large ammounts over an extended period of time may damage the liver. Flax seeed oil fish oils Evening primrose oil advocados, nuts are some sources of Omega 3s. Omega 6s are important too but are harder to obtain as they are less stable. It hae been suggested that adding Vitamin E oil to cooking oil prevents it from getting rancid. Rancid oils are harmful. Fatty acid are only part of the solution. Even if they don’t cure the LD they have many other health benefits. Read some books by Dr. Earle Mindell on nutrition. He’s a smart guy.
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
You CAN OD on supplements such as Efalex, which contains evening primrose oil, tuna oil and vitamin E. Just because a product is “natural” does not mean it is safe. Evening primrose oil can exacerbate seizure disorders and interfere with the absorbtion of other medications. If anyone is considering taking these supplements or giving them to their children, they really should first clear it with a doctor. EFA supplementation is an intriguing question that has not yet been fully answered. It is great that more research is being conducted. When you evaulate that research, make sure you consider whether the study was double blind, whether the sample size was large enough and whether the study adequately controlled for confounding factors. I also personally consider who funded the study. For example, Dr. Stordy, whose research is widely cited for the beneficial effect of EFA supplementation, was (and may still be) an employee of the Efamol corporation, which manufactures Efalex. I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but people frequently labor under the misimpression that “all-natural” remedies are somehow safer than medication. EFA supplements might well offer some benefits to some children with ADHD, dyslexia or dyspraxia, but you should not use the supplements without first checking with a doctor.
Andrea
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
The amount of Vitamin A in cod liver oil can be too much and can be toxic to the liver especially when you consider that you also are consuming Vitamin A in the food you eat and in multivitamins. I use Fish oil capsules that don’t contain vitamin A just the fatty acids.
Re: So how do you get your child to take it?ive functioning
To me this is the million dollar question. My son won’t swallow pills. He hates fish. I have thought of trying this diet but the fighting I can foresee stops me. It is the practical aspects that have me stumped.
Beth
swallowing pills
My boy had trouble with this at first as well. When we ran the first round of chelation we had to give him the pills like you would a dog - I held him securely, and mom opened his mouth and then pushed the capsules past the point of no return. We only ahd to do this for about 3 days before he causght on and began to take them voluntarily.
We started using EFA’s with him about 3 weeks ago. We give CLO twice a week and Primrose three times in gel caps. So far it is too soon to tell if they are having an impact, but he is gaining ground cognitively all the time (he just started colouring, and is keeping in the lines very well for one example). Too many variables I am afraid to isolate one single factor…
Consult your doctor about the safe levels of EFA’s to use (they are nutritive after all) and see if these may be a way to help your child improve in functioning.
help for swallowing pills
Our son really balked at taking pills. I talked to the pediatrician about it and he gave us a specially designed plastic glass that has a sort of ribbed area up one wall of the cup. It was a sample he got from a salesman. You set the pill on top of the ribs and the water flows through the ribs and sweeps the pill into the back of the child’s throat. Worked like a charm. (We were using it with Concerta. You need to keep that water off the Concerta or it will stick to the cup.) Maybe your pediatrician has heard about it, or maybe your pharmacist can get it.
After using the special cup several months, my son is now comfortable taking the meds with just a regular glass of water.
The PillTaker(tm)
Quanterron, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN 55337
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
There are alternatives to pills.
Coromega is an orange pudding like substance. It comes in little foil packs. Some kids love it. Nordic Natural has a product with strawberry flavoring. It can be chewed.
Some people squeeze out the oil and put it in juices, applesauce, peanutbutter, yogurt, icecream, etc. Different children are receptive to different options.
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
Where do you find information about these alternatives?
Beth
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
Too much prune juice can give you the runs. Pharmacuticals kill daily.
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
A high fat diet is recommended for epileptic children. Your right natural doesn’t mean safe but it usually mean a hell of a lot safer than presciption poison. Hey kids have died from eating peanut butter.
Re: Essential fatty acids & cognitive functioning
Here are 2 ways:
1. Read Dr. Jacqueline Stordy’s book and/or go to her web site www.drstordy.com
2. Join the speechdiet group at Yahoo.com and read the archives.
This is an online “support group” for parents of children who have apraxia of speech and speech delays. There is a growing body of evidence that essential fatty acid supplementation can greatly help speech acquisition of children with delays. The anecdotal evidence is enormous and clinical trials are underway. Parents on this board exchange information and one common point of discussion is all the different kinds of EFA supplements and how children ingest it.
I’d be interested inthe incidence of LD in Japanese & Italian children as in those countries fish is a large part of their diets.