Teens and school: behavior can improve with supplements
Teens and school: their behavior improves with Omega 3 supplements
Vitamins, minerals, and the omega-3 EPA and DHA positively influence adolescents' school behavior. It only takes 12 weeks of supplementation with specific supplements to improve teenagers' conduct and reduce antisocial attitudes, common during puberty.
These are the findings of a clinical study conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford (UK) and published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Nutrients and behavior: an important link
Results from numerous scientific publications suggest that children and adolescents in developed countries perform better on tests of verbal intelligence and those measuring behavior after consuming vitamin, mineral and omega-3 supplements, regardless of age. Deficiencies and imbalances of these nutrients, not only during development but throughout life, can have significant effects on brain function.
Although all nutrients are important, omega-3s are especially so, especially when the brain is growing, as it is during puberty. In fact, omega-3s play a central role in the development and functioning of the brain and the entire central nervous system. EPA and especially DHA are involved in numerous neuronal processes, ranging from effects on membrane fluidity to regulation of specific genes. Numerous studies have shown a link during childhood between developmental disorders and imbalance in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3.
For example, neurocognitive disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autism spectrum issues are often associated with omega-3 deficiency. In addition, several nutritional deficiencies have been implicated in anti-social behaviors at school age.
After integration, adolescents improved behavior
The study examined the relationship between the effects of supplementation with vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 on conduct and sociality in English adolescents. The results obtained showed an association between EPA and DHA levels and improved behavior, even when the optimal omega-3 level of 8 percent, a value associated with maximum protection against coronary heart disease(Omega-3 Index), was not achieved. The results showed that the attitudes of the students who had received the supplements had improved, while that of the students who had taken only a placebo had worsened. As John Stein, professor of physiology at the University of Oxford, pointed out, nutritional deficiencies are implicated in antisocial behavior so correcting them can improve sociality, and the supplements may have a protective effect by preventing the misbehavior from worsening.
Some details of the research
The study enrolled 196 healthy boys, ages 13 to 16, who were divided into two groups that followed two different treatments for 12 weeks. One group received dietary supplements in tablet form, containing high concentrations of vitamins, minerals and omega-3, while the other group consumed only placebo tablets. Blood samples were taken, to measure the change in nutrient concentrations, both at the beginning and end of treatment.
Behavior ratings were estimated based on school disciplinary and the Conners scale, an instrument for assessing and identifying problem behaviors in boys. Nutrient levels, on average low at the beginning of the study, appeared significantly improved after 12 weeks in the group of boys who had consumed the supplements. In addition, the researchers also found that when the youths were divided and analyzed into two subgroups, those with a high number of violations and those with few antisocial episodes, supplementation appeared to have different effects: in the more correct boys, school rule infractions increased, while in the more unruly subset of boys, behavior improved after treatment.
According to studies conducted in recent years EPA and DHA should make up 8 percent of an individual's total lipid composition. In the young study subjects, this percentage, on average, reached only 4% after supplementation. This suggests that the duration of treatment was insufficient, although significant improvements were found after supplementation.
Supplements could protect against bad behavior
According to the research authors, the results obtained show that supplementation with vitamins, minerals and omega-3s may have a protective effect against antisocial attitudes when assessed using the Conners scale. Thus, if the unusual behavior is a manifestation of suboptimal nutrient intake, the study data suggest the need for further investigation with larger numbers and increasing nutrient doses. To stay up to date with the latest news from Omega-3 scientific research, sign up for our newsletter.
Source: Jonathan Tammam, David Steinsaltza, D. W. Bestera, Turid Semb-Andenaesa and John F. Steina. "A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial investigating the behavioral effects of vitamin, mineral and n-3 fatty acid supplementation in typically developing adolescent schoolchildren." Br J Nutr. 2016 Jan 28;115(2):361-73.
