Fat for the Treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder

Hyperactivity-is it normal behavior or ADHD? A little over-exuberance is expected in growing children, but what about when a tendency towards impulsiveness, a lack of concentration, and sometimes excessive physical activity are carried on into adulthood? Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADD or ADHD) is defined as age-inappropriate behavior, specifically:

• A lack of attention
• A tendency to make careless mistakes at work that are often repeated
• Difficulty in following instructions
• Easily distracted
• Compulsiveness
• Excessive physical activity

Most parents would expect some of this behavior from their own children and, at a pinch, would tolerate it in others' kids. However when these symptoms are exhibited in adults, most people's patience is less elastic. People who suffer from attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder often find it difficult to keep down a job or maintain healthy relationships. More worryingly, incidences of ADHD have been on the increase over the past five years.

Luckily, research has been done into the causes of ADHD, and from this research a natural attention deficit disorder treatment has been found: fat. More specifically, fatty acids, and one type of fatty acid in particular...

Introducing Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are one of a number of different oils found in primarily in fish. They are called essential fatty acids because our body needs them for brain and nerve function, but cannot make them itself. Omega-3 usually comes from the diet, but a diet high in fish is less common than it used to be and this is leading researchers to believe that omega-3 deficiency is the cause of a number of disorders in the body, including depression, arthritis, and ADHD.

Omega-3 in ADHD treatment

The typical American diet lacks Omega 3 to a large extent, the only exception being in certain kinds of fish. In fact, 4esearchers seem to feel that over 60% of the nation's population could be Omega 3-deficient. Further research observed that people with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were more apt to have a negative outlook and to be more impulsive, while those with higher levels typically were more agreeable and less likely to exhibit a sour mood. Once the connection was established, the next step was to test omega-3 in attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

In their a recent study study, Dr. Sarah M. Conklin and colleagues set out to see whether the volume of gray matter in the brain, especially in areas related to mood, was proportionally related to the amount of omega-3 fatty acid consumed.

They asked 55 healthy adults about their average intake of omega-3 fatty acids and used MRI bran scans to determine gray matter volume.

As the researchers theorized, the higher the intake of omega-3 the larger were the volumes of gray matter in areas of the brain associated with mood and regulation of emotion. This could do wonders for the treatment of ADHD.

The brain is made mostly of fats - not just any fats but certain types of fats, of which Omega 3 is a very vital part. Increasing our intake of Omega 3 could make a great difference to our overall mood and in ADHD treatment. For those who can't stand the taste of fish, or feel their intake of omega-3 is not enough, then supplementation is recommended.