New study shows fish oil safe and effective alternative to drugs for ADHD

From " Fish oil 'calms children better than Ritalin'
by FIONA MACRAE, Daily Mail - More by this author » Last updated at
11:17am on 20th June 2006
"
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.

A mother's story
· Case study: 'How fish oil improved my hyperactive son'


The new study provides a natural alternative - and gives fresh hope to
the parents of the 30,000 British children prescribed Ritalin and
similar medicines such as Concerta.

Last night, experts accused doctors of being too quick to boost the
coffers of large drug companies by writing out prescriptions - and
urged parents to look into the value of improving their child's diet.

Psychiatrist Dr Sami Timimi (CORR) said: 'It stands to reason that
using a natural supplement that has few dangers or side-effects must
be preferable to using drugs which have considerable dangers
associated with them.

'This is a non-toxic way of doing something that might make a
difference.'

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 most striking improvement was in concentration or attention, which
improved by a third.

When those taking the dummy capsules switched to the fish oils, they
also saw their behaviour improve.

Researcher Natalie Sinn (CORR) said: 'Many of those who had children
who showed improvements commented that their children were calmer,
were doing better at school and were able to concentrate longer and
were therefore reading more.

'Overall, 30 to 40 per cent of children over 15 weeks and 40 to 50 per
cent of children over 30 weeks had improvements.'

She added that week-on-week improvements were still being seen at the
end of the study - suggesting the results of an even longer course of
treatment, may be even more dramatic.

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.'

Nick Giovannelli(CORR), of the Hyperactive Children's Support Group,
urged parents to consider using natural alternatives to Ritalin.

He said: 'GPs seem to be too quick to prescribe medication.

'This new study adds to the mounting evidence that nutrition is safer
and more effective than stimulant medication.'

Dr Madeleine Portwood, the educational psychologist who led the Durham
trial, said: 'This study shows once again that omega 3 can have a very
beneficial effect for children with concentration and behaviour
problems.'

The Royal College of Psychiatrists said the findings were 'promising'
and warranted further research.

Other studies have shown that omega 3 is also effective in children
without ADHD or learning difficulties, boosting their grasp of the
three Rs and improving their GCSE grades.

Concerta's manufacturers, Buckinghamshire-based Janssen-Cilag (CORR),
said the drug is part of a package of care which should include
attention to diet.

Dr Tony Donovan, the firm's associated medical director, said Concerta
had a good safety record but did not suit all children.

He advised parents considering switching their child to fish oil to
consult their child's specialist.

'It is not a decision to make off your own bat,' he said. 'I would
advise a parent to have a discussion with their specialist about the
benefits or otherwise about changing medication before making any
changes.'

The makers of Ritalin, Swiss-based Novartis, said the drug had a long
record of being a safe and effective medication. A spokesman advised
anyone concerned about side-effects to consult their doctor. "
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...page_id=1 799
Why would any parent subject his child to dangerous drugs if
fish oil is a safe and effective alternative. Thanks Vince

On Jul 22, 7:13 am, bigvince wrote:
From " Fish oil 'calms children better than Ritalin'
by FIONA MACRAE, Daily Mail - More by this author » Last updated at
11:17am on 20th June 2006
"
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.

A mother's story
· Case study: 'How fish oil improved my hyperactive son'

The new study provides a natural alternative - and gives fresh hope to
the parents of the 30,000 British children prescribed Ritalin and
similar medicines such as Concerta.

Last night, experts accused doctors of being too quick to boost the
coffers of large drug companies by writing out prescriptions - and
urged parents to look into the value of improving their child's diet.

Psychiatrist Dr Sami Timimi (CORR) said: 'It stands to reason that
using a natural supplement that has few dangers or side-effects must
be preferable to using drugs which have considerable dangers
associated with them.

'This is a non-toxic way of doing something that might make a
difference.'

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 most striking improvement was in concentration or attention, which
improved by a third.

When those taking the dummy capsules switched to the fish oils, they
also saw their behaviour improve.

Researcher Natalie Sinn (CORR) said: 'Many of those who had children
who showed improvements commented that their children were calmer,
were doing better at school and were able to concentrate longer and
were therefore reading more.

'Overall, 30 to 40 per cent of children over 15 weeks and 40 to 50 per
cent of children over 30 weeks had improvements.'

She added that week-on-week improvements were still being seen at the
end of the study - suggesting the results of an even longer course of
treatment, may be even more dramatic.

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.'

Nick Giovannelli(CORR), of the Hyperactive Children's Support Group,
urged parents to consider using natural alternatives to Ritalin.

He said: 'GPs seem to be too quick to prescribe medication.

'This new study adds to the mounting evidence that nutrition is safer
and more effective than stimulant medication.'

Dr Madeleine Portwood, the educational psychologist who led the Durham
trial, said: 'This study shows once again that omega 3 can have a very
beneficial effect for children with concentration and behaviour
problems.'

The Royal College of Psychiatrists said the findings were 'promising'
and warranted further research.

Other studies have shown that omega 3 is also effective in children
without ADHD or learning difficulties, boosting their grasp of the
three Rs and improving their GCSE grades.

Concerta's manufacturers, Buckinghamshire-based Janssen-Cilag (CORR),
said the drug is part of a package of care which should include
attention to diet.

Dr Tony Donovan, the firm's associated medical director, said Concerta
had a good safety record but did not suit all children.

He advised parents considering switching their child to fish oil to
consult their child's specialist.

'It is not a decision to make off your own bat,' he said. 'I would
advise a parent to have a discussion with their specialist about the
benefits or otherwise about changing medication before making any
changes.'

The makers of Ritalin, Swiss-based Novartis, said the drug had a long
record of being a safe and effective medication. A spokesman advised
anyone concerned about side-effects to consult their doctor. "http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/womenfamily.htm...
Why would any parent subject his child to dangerous drugs if
fish oil is a safe and effective alternative. Thanks Vince

Good post, thank you Vince. I've been keeping up on the Omega 3
articles as of late, and there are several of them posted on "Sham vs.
Wham: The Health Insider," at http://shamvswham.blogspot.com/search?q=Fish+Oil.

D.

bigvince wrote:

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


Any time a specific brand name substance is used, one should suspect
that something is fishy.

On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:22:37 GMT, Mark Probert
wrote:

bigvince wrote:

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


Any time a specific brand name substance is used, one should suspect
that something is fishy.

Yes. And any time a drug is named in a clinical trial, one can be
pretty sure that the study is merely a tool for future marketing of
the product.

Actually, what you really want to look for is who sponsored the study.
If it is a company that has an interest in the outcome, you can bet
that indeed, data are spun to SELL and have almost NOTHING to do with
health outcomes or wisest use of an intervention.

George M. Carter

GMCarter wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:22:37 GMT, Mark Probert
wrote:

bigvince wrote:

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


Any time a specific brand name substance is used, one should suspect
that something is fishy.

Yes. And any time a drug is named in a clinical trial, one can be
pretty sure that the study is merely a tool for future marketing of
the product.

Actually, what you really want to look for is who sponsored the study.
If it is a company that has an interest in the outcome, you can bet
that indeed, data are spun to SELL and have almost NOTHING to do with
health outcomes or wisest use of an intervention.

George M. Carter


It was sponsored by the very eye Q people who made the potion.
--
Peter Bowditch aa #2243
The Millenium Project http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles
Australian Council Against Health Fraud http://www.acahf.org.au
Australian Skeptics http://www.skeptics.com.au
To email me use my first name only at ratbags.com

On Jul 23, 9:07 am, Peter Bowditch wrote:
GMCarter wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:22:37 GMT, Mark Probert
wrote:

bigvince wrote:

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

Any time a specific brand name substance is used, one should suspect
that something is fishy.

Yes. And any time a drug is named in a clinical trial, one can be
pretty sure that the study is merely a tool for future marketing of
the product.

Actually, what you really want to look for is who sponsored the study.
If it is a company that has an interest in the outcome, you can bet
that indeed, data are spun to SELL and have almost NOTHING to do with
health outcomes or wisest use of an intervention.

George M. Carter

It was sponsored by the very eye Q people who made the potion.
--
Peter Bowditch aa #2243
The Millenium Projecthttp://www.ratbags.com/rsoles
Australian Council Against Health Fraudhttp://www.acahf.org.au
Australian Skepticshttp://www.skeptics.com.au
To email me use my first name only at ratbags.com- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Fish oil is what the study talked about. Not a specific brand. Please
site some creditable source for your statement

On Jul 23, 6:21 am, GMCarter wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:22:37 GMT, Mark Probert

wrote:
bigvince wrote:

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

Any time a specific brand name substance is used, one should suspect
that something is fishy.

Yes. And any time a drug is named in a clinical trial, one can be
pretty sure that the study is merely a tool for future marketing of
the product.

Actually, what you really want to look for is who sponsored the study.
If it is a company that has an interest in the outcome, you can bet
that indeed, data are spun to SELL and have almost NOTHING to do with
health outcomes or wisest use of an intervention.

George M. Carter

On Jul 23, 6:21 am, GMCarter wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:22:37 GMT, Mark Probert

wrote:
bigvince wrote:

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

Any time a specific brand name substance is used, one should suspect
that something is fishy.

Yes. And any time a drug is named in a clinical trial, one can be
pretty sure that the study is merely a tool for future marketing of
the product.

Actually, what you really want to look for is who sponsored the study.
If it is a company that has an interest in the outcome, you can bet
that indeed, data are spun to SELL and have almost NOTHING to do with
health outcomes or wisest use of an intervention.

George M. Carter

George you are Entirely correct. fish oil is not a patented drug and
the study referred to the benefitof fish oil . The other comment by
Probert is very true when talking about patented drugs such as
ritalin; vioxx; ketek and other dangerous drugs where all the relavent
studys are sponsered by the maker. A real potential to 'cook the
data' studys on natural foods after all fish oil is a food provide no
such economic incentive. Thanks Vince

On Jul 22, 8:22 pm, Mark Probert wrote:
bigvince wrote:
The Australian researchers looked at the effect of eye q (CORR) fish
oil capsules on a group seven to 12-year-olds with ADHD.

Any time a specific brand name substance is used, one should suspect
that something is fishy.

I only look seriously at those pieces of research that DO list a
specific product, when it talks about natural products or supplements
like fish oil. There are so many variables in the production and
content of commercial fish oil, for example, or herbal dietary
supplements (which can vary even more, one from another) that I'd only
feel confident buying the brand that was used in the trial (if it was
a legitimate piece of research).

I'd agree with you Mark, 100%, about pharmaceutical trials. When some
brand name drug is used in the trial, something is fishy indeed.

Dave

bigvince wrote:

On Jul 23, 9:07 am, Peter Bowditch wrote:
GMCarter wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:22:37 GMT, Mark Probert
wrote:

bigvince wrote:

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

Any time a specific brand name substance is used, one should suspect
that something is fishy.

Yes. And any time a drug is named in a clinical trial, one can be
pretty sure that the study is merely a tool for future marketing of
the product.

Actually, what you really want to look for is who sponsored the study.
If it is a company that has an interest in the outcome, you can bet
that indeed, data are spun to SELL and have almost NOTHING to do with
health outcomes or wisest use of an intervention.

George M. Carter

It was sponsored by the very eye Q people who made the potion.
--


- Show quoted text -

Fish oil is what the study talked about. Not a specific brand. Please
site some creditable source for your statement

I'll cite BigVince:

bigvince wrote:

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

You really try hard to look foolish, don't you?
--
Peter Bowditch aa #2243
The Millenium Project http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles
Australian Council Against Health Fraud http://www.acahf.org.au
Australian Skeptics http://www.skeptics.com.au
To email me use my first name only at ratbags.com