Fish Oil for ADHD

I have seen First hand and heard how wonderful Massage is for these children.I am a Child/Infant massage instructor and teach parents and caregivers how to massage there children.It really helps with calming and centering kids.If you would like more info please feel free to email me and ask any questions you may have.
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Kris

I am very curious as to other ideas aside form medication. My son has not been diagnosed with ADHD but every time we talked to a doctor they wanted to try medication right away and my husband and I refuse. My son is 11 and is hyper and also has trouble relating with other kids. Maybe you will get some good ideas that will help many others too.

I don't know of anyone else whose tried it, but I'm wondering if you've tried counseling for him?

Many of my students (I'm in school social work) have come to me in small groups to learn ways to cope with ADHD and work on calming techniques. Some kids really respond well to that kind of attention. I just wouldn't want you to waste time chasing a remedy when counseling is a really easy way to help kids and families cope with this.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try though. Good luck.

i have heard that if you can make some major diet adjustments it MAY help. Such as... organic foods (limiting pesticide intake) I use www.tcforganics.net they deliver fresh fruits and veggies to your home and it is AWESOME!! The price, I think is very comparable to the grocery store and they deliver. Other things I have heard is to try to cut back on processed foods and watching the sugar susbstitutes. Asparateme in particular (this is found in MANY kid vitamins!! Sometimes kids are actually allergic to milk and gluten. Of course this requires a lot of trial and error however you may notice some great changes. Listen to your pediatrician and make a diary. Decide what changes you want to pursue and then see if it makes a difference. Good Luck!! :)

I would check out www.mercola.com for a good fish oil for adults and kids. He also gives some natural options. I also recommend having your son evaluated by a chiropractor. If there is any interference to his nervous system it would be like wearing the wrong prescription glasses all day. Your frame of reference is off and the child (and the parent) just does not know. I have seen amazing changes with chiropractic care. Check out www.icpa4kids.org for a doctor and research. Smile.

Hi V.,

I can't tell you if they work, but I've also been looking into fish oil supplements for my almost 4 year old son with major sensory issues, and my daughter, who has mild sensory issues and is dyspraxic. I found some strawberry gel capsules at GNC for kids that my son has taken (although not consistently) and my daughter, who is the one I really wanted to try it with, spit out. I have been reading The LCP Solution by Jacquelyn Stordy and another author, and it sounds very promising, but how to get my daughter to take it????? My friend says to put it in their yogurt, but they don't have yogurt every day, and they still taste fishy. If anyone has suggestions on this for picky preschoolers, I'd love to hear it, too!

Fish oil is extremely beneficial for all kids & adults, especially those with less than optimal health. My son has multiple food/environmental allergies & chemical sensitivities (which can make him quite hyper at times). On advice of our chiropractor (Dr. Majors in Romeoville who has been helping many kids w/ health & behavioral issues) he started taking fish oil daily (proper dosage is 1 teaspoon per 50lbs of body weight) and he's benefited tremendously from it. The brand we use is Carlson's - it's lemon flavored and my son has no problem taking it.

V.,
For fish oil, look for the Nordic Naturals brand. Several of my doctors prefer this brand. You can find it at Whole Foods, though I hate to recommend that place! Look for the formulation that contains omega 3, 6, and 9. I can't recall the name, but we use it. Most oils contain only the omega 3.
Also see the book, "Is This Your Child?" by Doris Rapp, MD. She is a pediatric allergist who explains the effects foods can have on the brain. You are on the right track. Continue to follow your instincts.
Amy

Hi V.!
I started using an EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) supplement about a year and a half ago for the same reason. I was having major focusing problems. I couldn't even finish a sentence! It was embarassing. I use NutriMinC RE9 EFA's by ARBONNE. They get their Omega-3 from flaxseed oil, which is naturally the richest source of Omega-3. (No fish oil...with mercury!) A while back, I had attended a seminar with a woman who is a Nutritional Microscopic. She takes live and dry blood samples, and can tell you alot about what is going on and what you need nutritionally. She was telling us that she recommends Arbonne's EFA's to all of her clients because they have so many health benefits. This supplement also contains your super-antioxidants, A,C,and E. Alpha Lipoic Acid and Coenzyme Q10...which is good for your heart. This supplement is also good for people with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It is safe for your 10 year old to take. She has many of her young clients taking this supplement. One of my best friends took her 11 year old off his meds for ADHD and started giving him this supplement. She hated the side affects that he was having from the meds. This is a safe alternative and IT WORKS!!!

In the recent AMA conference I attended (American Med Assoc) on nutrition, there were blocks devoted exclusively to Omega 3's with specific regard to FISH OIL since they have the longest chain Omega 3's and therefore more effective with relieving ADD, Depression, Behavioral problems and a multitude of other things.

Specifically with regards to ADD - you need a fish oil that is PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE - I can't stress that enough - it has to be 99.9% of what it says it is. You can't buy those at Walmart or GNC. Also with the pharm grade - it is totally distilled and it must be COLD PRESSED with the distillation and detoxification - if it is not cold pressed it is absolutely worthless because it destroys the properties. It ALSO must have the correct ratio of EPA to DHA - which is 1:1 - and FISH OIL which has the long chain fatty acids, has the ideal ratio - so fastest results and most effective results.

In the numerous studies we saw, the ADD meds and the fish oils had almost exactly the SAME effectiveness with NONE of the side effects (suicidal thoughts, depressions, etc). I have FISH oil on my website that I refer pregnant and postpartum women to - as they should all be taking fish oil (fetal brain development, recooperation after birth with Omega 3 depletion which often leads to postpartum depression, etc).

The site is www.herbal-nutrition.com/bonniewayne/ and it is called Herbalifeline. It is one of the highlighted products on the front page. This one is Pharmeceutical grade, cold pressed, detoxified (no contaminants) and distilled properly.

Also I would strongly recommend educating yourself on the topic. There are a couple of books you can get on Amazon that go into ADD, Fish oils, and the brain. The first is "The Crazymakers" (How the fast food industry is destroying our children's brains).
Also, "The Omega 3 Connection" is VERY VERY excellent, as is "Omega Zone." If I could recommend two first - it would be the Omega 3 connection and then the CrazyMakers.

You can also google studies with ADD and ADHD and Fish oil. Just type in ADD ADHD FiSh Oil and STUDIES - you will find thousands of studies. The reason they are not promoted as much by doctors is simple - there are no drug reps promoting them from drug companies - they only do their OWN big drugs - and the drug companies who fund continuing education for docs promote their own products. It gets into a whole other ball of wax but you get the idea. If you can find a doctor that is open to working with you on a more holistic approach that would be your best bet. Good luck!!!!

It doesn't have to come from fish oil alone. Many foods are high in Omega-3's. Fish is very easy to cook especially in the summer. I make fish a few times a week. Salmon with some lemon & honey is one of my kids favorites. Rainbow trout has been on sale at Jewel for the past couple of weeks. I made it last weekend & even my sil's kids who are the pickiest of eaters loved it. Walnuts, broccoli, spinach, flaxseed, and pumpkin seeds are all high in Omega-3. I have been buying Healthy life bread with flaxseed, very good. Even if it doesn't cure the ADHD it is still a very good addition to the diet. I also poke open the capsules of fish oil & put them in food.