Omega-3 Improve Cognitive Abilities in Children

Supplementation with Omega-3 improves neuropsychological functions in children affected by malnutrition. Just 3 months of treatment with EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) can enhance attention, coordination, executive functions, and information processing speed.

This is the result of a study conducted by researchers from the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (Mexico), the Universidad de Granada (Spain), and the University of North Carolina (USA). The research, published in the journal Research in Developmental Disabilities, is one of the few to have investigated the role of Omega-3 on cognitive performance in malnourished children and pre-adolescents.

Children and Malnutrition

Although the study was conducted on Mexican children, malnutrition is a problem that affects many other countries as well. It is estimated that in America, in 2012, 14.5% of families experienced food insecurity at some point during the year and that 5.7% lived in severe food insecurity. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 3.9 million families are unable to adequately provide for their children's nutritional needs. Malnutrition in early childhood can have severe effects on growth and organ maturation, and if it continues into later ages, it can impact cognitive and academic abilities.

Omega-3 Improve Cognitive Parameters

The study involved 59 malnourished children aged between 8 and 12 years. One group received 180 mg of DHA and 270 mg of EPA daily, while the other group received a placebo. Each child was assessed on 18 cognitive parameters both at the start and at the end of the 3-month treatment. Results showed that in the Omega-3 group, 50% of the children improved in 11 of the 18 variables studied.

No visible effects were found in the placebo group. In particular, coordination, attention, perceptual integration, and executive function improved in over 70% of children treated with EPA and DHA. The study did not show differences regarding memory, contrary to the researchers’ initial hypothesis and previous studies. According to the scientists, the increase in memory observed in both groups may be due to external stimuli rather than EPA and DHA supplementation. This study is the first to consider individual changes in each subject, thus shedding light on the clinical significance of supplementation beyond statistical analysis.

An Important Result to Further Investigate

Based on the results, it can be concluded that Omega-3 improve cognitive performance but not memory, highlighting a certain specificity of their positive effects. While there is no doubt about the benefits of Omega-3 in these children, who usually had a low intake, it should be considered that 3 months of treatment might be too short to study changes in cognitive abilities. Further studies with different experimental models will be needed to confirm these findings. 

Source: Verónica Portillo-Reyes, Miguel Pérez-García , Yolanda Loya-Méndez ,Antonio E. Puente “Clinical significance of neuropsychological improvement after supplementation with omega-3 in 8–12 years old malnourished Mexican children: A randomized, double-blind, placebo and treatment clinical trial”. Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 35, Issue 4, April 2014, Pages 861–870