Children diagnosed with ADHD suffer from concentration problems [GETTY]In England alone more than 650,000 prescriptions are written every year for Ritalin and other attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs. But a new study suggests a supplement sold on the high street works almost as well as these mind-altering medicines.
The trial, just published in the Journal of Attention Disorders, found when the omega oil pill is used alongside prescription medicines doses can be reduced, which lowers the risk of side effects.
Researchers concluded the combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is “an effective, well-tolerated treatment for children with ADHD”. The findings are so compelling ADHD charity Addiss has called for the supplement to be made available on the NHS.
Chief executive Andrea Bilbow says: “We have always advised parents to give fish oils as well as prescription medicines. We know they have an effect on cognition but the big problem is you cannot get this product on the NHS.”
Helen Brumpton’s son George was diagnosed with severe ADHD when he was six and has been taking Ritalin-type drugs for three years. She has no doubt the prescription pills have made a huge difference.
Six months ago Helen also started giving George the product Equazen, a blend of omega-3 and omega-6 oils used in the new study.
Helen, 40, a teaching assistant from Yeovil in Somerset, says: “Within a month we started to see a difference. He seems to be pushing himself more. He hated writing but now he has started to write more and read little stories.”
Teachers have commented on George’s increased concentration, his co-ordination has improved and he has even started playing the trumpet.
It is estimated as many as five per cent of children and young people have ADHD, which is characterised by a short attention span and restlessness and constant fidgeting. No one is sure what causes it but the disorder is more common in boys.
Some sceptics have argued it is not a disorder at all but simply a sign of poor parenting.
However MRI scans confirm that children diagnosed with ADHD have less co-ordinated activity between areas of the brain governing decision making and the ability to control impulses.
The evidence is strong enough to convince the US Food and Drug Administration. It recently approved a device to diagnose the disorder by tracking electrical activity in the brain in much the same way that an ECG is used to pick up cardiac problems by monitoring electrical activity in the heart.
Helen, who has two older children, says she knew there was more to her son’s behaviour than high spirits.
“Everything is in fast forward,” she says. “George is amazing, he amazes me in so many ways.
“He can do lots of things at once and it’s as if there are loads of different boxes open in his head.”
Helen Brumpton with her son George, who now takes the omega oil blend [BARRY GOMER]Within a month we started to see a difference. He seems to be pushing himself more. He hated writing but now he has started to write more and read little stories
She adds: “Things don’t get done because he has too much going on. Something will happen and he will forget or his mind will go off somewhere else.”
Methylphenidate drugs such as Ritalin which are prescribed for ADHD have been described as a “chemical cosh”. And while many parents view them as a lifeline they come with a catalogue of potentially dangerous side effects including aggressive behaviour, depression, heart problems and breathing difficulties.
Helen says: “The last thing you want to do is pump your child full of drugs but I thought for my son’s sake I had to give it a try.”
Working as a classroom assistant Helen had also seen other children benefit from these medicines and decided to add the fish oil supplement after going to a workshop for parents of children with ADHD. There she heard other mums talk about the improvements they had seen.
It is known that omega-3 which is primarily found in oily fish is important for brain function and this may have given rise to the old wives’ tale that fish is “brain food”. A number of studies have suggested fish oil might help children with ADHD and learning difficulties.
Yet many of these trials have lacked a control group and the paediatrician who treats George was dismissive when Helen asked if fish oils might help. However the new study of 90 children recently diagnosed with ADHD found a clear benefit for a specific combination of omega-3 and omega-6 oils.
Over the course of a year a third of the children were given Ritalin.
A third received Equazen and the remaining third took both Ritalin and the supplement.
Children in all three groups showed dramatic improvement.
Doctors were also able to reduce the dose of Ritalin in children taking the combination.
“This is a very important finding,” says trial leader Dr Eduardo Barragan, a paediatric neurologist at the Hospital Infantil de Mexico.
“Normally we need to reach over 1mg per kilogram of bodyweight but when combining it with Equazen we could keep the medication at low levels, 0.5 to 0.7mg.”
All the children were assessed five times over the 12-month trial.
Dr Barragan says: “We noticed the motor skills, language organisation and learning abilities improved significantly in children given Equazen.”
He believes the supplement alone is an effective treatment for children with inattentive ADHD. And in children with other forms of the disorder it can be used to reduce the risk of side effects, which he says was a problem for one in four children who were given the Ritalin alone.
He believes it works by stabilising the neuronal membrane which improves signalling in the brain.
Equazen eye q, the supplement used in the study, is available in pharmacies, supermarkets and some health shops. Call 0870 241 5621 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 
0870 241 5621 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit equazen.co.uk for details.
0870 241 5621 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit equazen.co.uk for details.
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