3 Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Best Supplements for ADHD Persons
Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the best supplements for persons having attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Out of 3 of the omega-3 fatty acids one is readily available, and you don’t need to take it as a supplement.
That is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and is readily available in large quantities from plant sources and if you consume right kind of plant-based oils, you will automatically get it.
The other 2 omega-3 fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They are also readily available from marine sources. You also don’t need to buy them as supplements if you consume marine fish.
But if you are a strict vegan and not touch any foods or supplements sourced from animals then you have to consider EPA and DHA supplements as medicines and consume them because they keep you sane.
Even then if you don’t want to have those supplements then read on as I have options for you to avoid the animal sourced supplements.
The EPA and DHA supplements are one of the most prescribed by physicians or suggested by nutritionists for mental health.
Anyways, what are the omega-3 fatty acids and how they are different from other fatty acids?
For these queries, please refer to my earlier post.
In this post I would like to discuss the different kinds and sources of omega-3 fatty acids, general uses of omega-3 fatty acids, their usage in mental health, to be even more specific, in ADHD management plans, my experiences in using them for my son’s ADHD management and cautionary note while using them.
Kinds of omega-3 fatty acids
The 3-above omega-3 fatty acids, ALA, EPA and DHA are called essential fatty acids as human body can’t make them on its own and need to get them through diet. They are a kind of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) with several health benefits including heart health, inflammation and brain function.
Sources of omega-3 fatty acids
ALA is widely available from plant-based sources, such as camelina seeds, flaxseeds, perilla seeds, sacha inchi seeds, chia seeds, walnuts and hemp seeds as shown in the below table.
It’s also available from the corresponding oils in higher proportions compared to the seeds themselves as shown in the below table.
Wherever possible it’s advised to consume these seeds in appropriate proportions as they provide plant protein, fiber and antioxidants as well. Using a combination of seeds and oils will allow you to obtain balanced nutrition from these sources.
ALA is also available in small quantities in many vegetables, some other seeds and nuts and incorporating them in your diet provides balanced nutrition.
Our body naturally converts ALA into EPA and DHA. But it’s argued that this conversion isn’t efficient (5%) and it’s better to take EPA and DHA as supplements for getting enough amounts to maintain good health.
The availability of omega-3 fatty acids from both sources, i.e. plants and animals, have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Plant sources advantages
ALA is available in large quantities in the plant-based oils. EPA and DHA are also available from few plant sources such as algal oil but not to a large extent.
Plant sources disadvantages
EPA and DHA are not available from many plant sources and even when available they are very minimal. Conversion of ALA into EPA and DHA is not efficient (5%) and hence the oils have to be taken in considerably large amounts to get them in sufficient quantities.
Animal sources advantages
Animal based sources such as fatty fish (mackerel, salmon [farmed or wild type], herring, sardines, anchovies) contain EPA and DHA in greater amounts. It's preferred to get them as part of diet instead of the supplements and their suggested portions are given in the below table.
Animal sources disadvantages
Mercury is a major concern of contamination of these sources. Additionally, since they are readily available as supplements overdosage is a concern if not taken under a supervision of the experienced professional. The overdosage may lead to additional health complications.
General health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids provide a wide array of benefits for human health. Of them cardiovascular health is the most researched topic for their usage. They are known to reduce the triglycerides in the blood, consequentially helping in reducing the blood clots, atherosclerosis, and even the prevention of stroke.
Apart from the above, there are many other benefits such as reduction in arthritis pain, in improving skin health and eye health are also reported.
Mental health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are well known for their usage in maintaining good mental health. In all areas of mental health, such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, and sleeplessness, omega-3 fatty acids are proven to help manage these disorders.
ADHD management options
For managing ADHD, omega-3 fatty acids are the widely prescribed supplements. As already mentioned, they are available from both plant and animal sources.
It’s advised to get omega-3 fatty acids as part of diet preferably. Wherever, it’s not possible to get them from the diet then it’s suggested to take them as supplements to maintain good mental health.
My experiences in managing my son’s ADHD
Out of all the supplements, omega-3 fatty acids are the most helpful in maintaining my son’s (age 31 years old) ADHD behaviors. Visible and measurable benefits are seen while using them.
His anxiety levels have reduced considerably, and attention span has improved upon continuous usage of them. Some other behaviors such as hyperactivity like flapping hands, running around the house aimlessly, not able to sit for longer periods, skin peeling over his thumb, chewing hard items have come down to a large extent or disappeared completely. Further, his sleep quality and quantity has also improved.
But I can’t claim omega-3 fatty acids alone have reduced those behaviors to a large extent, but in association with other supplements usage. Remember they are only a part in managing ADHD behaviors and they don’t provide one-shot solve-all problems solution.
Most importantly we noticed some side effects at higher doses such as darkening of skin at the bottom of nose. This is an indication of overdosage and when the fish oils usage discontinued then the problem disappeared. Hence, using omega-3 fatty acids in large quantities is not advisable and need to be tailored individually under the supervision of an experienced nutritionist or a physician.
Usage of any supplements, leave alone omega-3 fatty acids, needs to be monitored carefully and it is better to start with even less than the lowest recommended dosage. It’s important to increase the supplements in a stepwise manner to the recommended dosage while evaluating the progress at every stage.
Options for strict vegans
Instead of using omega-3 supplements from the fish sources we also used plant-based sources in considerable amounts and observed no side effects even after continuous use for more than several months or so. This is especially beneficial for strict vegans who doesn’t want to consume any foods or supplements sourced from animals.
Using plant-based oil sources have additional benefits as they come packed with other fat-soluble vitamins and phytochemicals which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. In my son’s case, even without fish oils usage we found the same benefits with plant-based oils but without side effects.
Further, including the above seeds and nuts as part of diet also allows one to get enough amounts of ALA when combined with plant seed-based oils.
Combination usage of oils from plant and animal sources
A combination of plant-based oils and omega-3 supplements from marine sources may be followed to avoid using both kinds of oils in large quantities and get the same benefits with no side effects from either of them. Again, they have to be tailored to individual needs and has to be monitored on a regular basis for any side effects.
Thus, the above 3 omega-3 fatty acids are essential in managing ADHD symptoms. We found them to be really helpful in managing my son’s ADHD in combination with other supplements which I will discuss in the next few posts.
Until then, cheers!!!
Vara
