Adolescents with low Omega 3 levels: less school performance

Adolescents with lower concentrations of omega-3 in the blood show less attention and lower information processing speed, compared with those with higher concentrations. In detail, the Omega-3 Index, a measure of the amount of EPA and DHA in an individual, was found to be associated with some measures of cognitive ability. Each 1 percent increase in the Omega-3 Index, in fact, corresponds to an increase in specific test scores, suggesting an important role of EPA and DHA in academic performance.

This was discovered by researchers at the Open University of the Netherlands in a study recently published in the journal Nutrients.

Omega-3 and cognitive functionstive functions

In addition to its known beneficial activities on cardiovascular health, blood concentrations of omega-3 appear to be associated with cognitive function in adults and the elderly, as well as with certain disorders in children and adolescents including ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), autism, and dyslexia. During adolescence, the role of omega-3 is particularly important; in fact, at this stage of life, development of the prefrontal cortex takes place and continues until after the age of 20. This region of the brain plays a key role in the development of cognitive functions associated with school and academic achievement. In addition, the prefrontal cortex is a particularly DHA-rich area, and higher intakes of this omega-3 have been associated with changes in the functional activity of the cortex itself, in boys aged 8 to 10 years. Several studies have shown an association between fish consumption, which is the most important source of omega-3, and cognitive properties in adolescents and school performance. However, fish is not the only source of omega-3, and there is, moreover, great interpersonal variability in the absorption of these fatty acids. Thus, a blood test is required to estimate EPA and DHA levels. For this purpose, theOmega-3 Index, which represents the percentage of EPA and DHA relative to that of total fatty acids, in red blood cell membranes is used.

Omega-3 associatedti to the capacity for attention and information processing

The main objective of this study, conducted in 266 young people aged 13 to 15 years, was to investigate the association between Omega-3 Index and cognitive performance, typically developing during adolescence. The results showed that the Omega-3 Index was significantly associated with speed of information processing and that each 1 percent increase in the Omega-3 Index corresponded to a 1.23 increase in the result of a test called the LDST, designed precisely to measure this type of cognitive function. In addition, the students with a higher Omega-3 Index had made fewer errors of omission in a specific test, called D2, for assessing inattention and impulsivity, that is, they were the ones who had paid more attention than the students with a lower Omega-3 Index.

No association was observed, however, for other types of cognitive measures. As Harry Rice of GOED, an association that promotes the consumption of adequate levels of Omega-3s, pointed out, the analyses conducted in this study show, first of all, that the children involved needed to increase their consumption of EPA and DHA in order not to put their health at risk. In fact, the average Omega-3 Index was 3.83, a figure that, regardless of cognitive function, is too low. Recall that the desirable Omega-3 Index value is 8, a measure that indicates reduced cardiovascular risk. That of the Omega-3 Index is a result that certainly did not surprise the researchers, as 13.9 percent of the students involved in the research had stated through a food consumption questionnaire that they never consume fish, and 77 percent that they rarely do.

Results with a positive impact on school learning

According to the researchers who conducted the study, demonstrating a positive effect of omega-3 supplementation on concentration and processing speed could improve cognitive functioning, and possibly school performance, in an easy and inexpensive way.

How can the Omega-3 Index be measured?

Determining one's Omega-3 Index is important to know the level of the fatty acid reliably, and to find out if it is deficient. The index is determined by the Omega-3 Index Test, a blood test that can be performed in laboratories that follow a strict quality management system.

Source: I.S.M. van der Wurff, et al. "Association between Blood Omega-3 Index and Cognition in Typically Developing Dutch Adolescents." Nutrients , 2016, Volume 8, Number 1,13.