OMEGA-3S MAY HELP DEPRESSIVE KIDS.

Studies reporting positive effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation have been increasing with benefits shown for children with learning disabilities, behavioural problems and ADHD. Previous studies into fatty acids and depression have measured omega-3 levels in the blood of depressed humans, giving rise to the ‘phospholipid hypothesis’, which proposes that decreased omega-3 fatty acid intake could be responsible for the disease. Now researchers from Ben Gurion University in Israel have reported for the first time that omega-3 fatty acids could also help children suffering from depression. Their study involved 28 depressed children, aged 6-12 who received either an omega-3 fatty acid or placebo. Depression scores were measured at the start of the trial and then again after 2, 4, 6,8,12 and 16 weeks. Seven out of 10 children in the omega-2 group had depression score reductions of 50% or more. None of the children in the placebo group had reductions in their scores. (Food Navigator USA, 06/23/06)