Fish Oil and Food Additives in ADD and ADHD

Posted by Elizabeth Richards Oct 13, 2009

It's been pretty easy to spot diet issues with our second eldest. She would frequently get ear infections as a toddler and she loved to drink milk. We didn't make the connection until someone suggested to us that cow's milk could be the culprit. As soon as we switched her to rice milk, the ear infections went away and have never returned. Amazing and simple fix.

Some diet issues aren't as obvious. We're bombarded with food additives and preservatives and while nearly impossible to avoid, they've been proven to affect behavior. On the flip-side, there are things we can add in to our diet that can have a positive impact on how our children (and even adults) behave. Fish Oil is one of our favorite supplements. Fatty Acid and Omega-3 have so many positive qualities.

When dealing with ADD and ADHD, or any emotional or behavior issues, adding DHA and EPA to your diet can really help. Omega-3 has even been shown to help with memory and alzheimer's issues. A side benefit of fish oil supplementation is that the fatty acids also help with inflammation, which is beneficial for many other conditions.

Some people don't like to take fish oil capsules because of the after-effect of bad after-taste. It's easy to get around that by keeping the capsules in the freezer. The cold temperatures don't alter the effectiveness and freezing the capsules helps remove the after-taste. A word of caution about fish oil, make sure you are buying a reputable brand.

There are many cheap versions out there that don't really do much. It's worth spending a little more to get good quality. If you are unsure, check with a compounding pharmacist, a knowledgeable person at your local health food store or a health care provider who understands nutritional health. Some online sources offer help in weeding out the good from the bad. Dr. Andrew Weil has an excellent article on choosing the right kinds of EPA and DHA.