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Omega 3 Supplementation

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Topic: The benefits of omega-3 supplementation on cognitive function in healthy children.

I. Introduction Macronutrients are a group of compounds that humans consume in the largest quantities and thus provide the bulk of energy that they consume and use for everyday functioning. The three types of macronutrients are protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Fatty acids are separated into three categories: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. The unsaturated fatty acids are known to play a role in cognitive function, learning, and behavior.1, 2 Omega-3 fatty acid is one of the polyunsaturated fatty acids and it can be created from alpha-linolenic acid or obtained directly from maternal milk or fish oil. High amounts of omega-3 fatty acids …show more content…

observed the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on aggression in children living in Japan. A total of 166 children aged 9–12 years old were given either omega-3 fortified foods providing 514 mg/day of DHA and 120 mg/day of EPA or the same unfortified foods for 3 months. The HAQ-C and the Picture Frustration (PF) Study was used to assess aggression in both groups at baseline and endpoint. In addition, attention deficit, hyperactivity, and impulsivity were assessed by parents and guardians using the same diagnostic questionnaires that are used for ADHD. After 3 months, the omega-3 fortified foods was associated with reduced impulsivity and aggression in females (p=0.008) but no significant change was observed in …show more content…

In most cases, students who are not proficient in reading or spelling during the early school years often have difficulty in other subject matters throughout their education. All factors of education including nutrition, should be considered when evaluating ways to improve learning capabilities in children. In terms of nutrition, omega-3 is vitally important during gestation and infancy for early brain development. However, omega-3 fatty acids are present in a limited number of foods and the predicted intake by American children worldwide is commonly low. Omega-3 fatty acids have been highlighted in research to better understand the association between nutritional deficiencies and learning difficulties. In the event that a child has an omega-3 deficiency related to poor intake or absorption, it is likely that their learning and/or behavior would see benefits from improving their omega-3 status. There is clearly an interest and a number of research studies that are investigating the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cognition, learning and behavior in healthy children. Overall, the studies included in this review generally agree that making improvements in a child’s fatty acid intake may initiate brain activity changes that are observable in regards to learning and behavior. The results of neurophysiologic tests showed a measureable change in the brains activity as a result of omega-3

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