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A TEST FOR LOW OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS IN ADHD?
Strong evidence linking omega-3 fatty acid abnormalities to
ADHD comes from a new study by Brian Ross et al., who analyzed
exhaled ethane levels-a non-invasive measure of oxidative
damage to omega-3 fatty acids-in 10 ADHD subjects and 12
controls.
Subjects with ADHD had significantly higher ethane levels than
controls, the researchers say, with half of ADHD cases being above
the normal upper limits.
The researchers speculate that children with the highest exhaled-
ethane levels may respond best to treatment with omega-3 fatty
acids. They also recommend that supplementation include an
antioxidant such as vitamin E, ubiquinone, or alpha lipoic acid.
"Dietary supplementation with long chain polyunsaturated fatty
acids, especially of the omega-3 class, has also been found to have
positive effects in depression and borderline personality disorder,"
they note, "while lipid and/or antioxidant vitamin and mineral
therapy has reduced delinquent and aggressive behavior, suggesting
an important link between diet, including lipid intake, and certain
types of psychopathology."
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"Increased levels of ethane, a non-invasive marker of omega-3 fatty
acid oxidation, in breath of children with attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder," Brian M. Ross, Ivor McKenzie, Iain Glen, and C. Peter W.
Bennett, Nutritional Neuroscience, Vol. 6, No. 5, October 2003,
277-81. Address: brian@ness-foundation.org.uk.
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