Fish Oil Proves More Effective than Ritalin for ADHD
The behavior of children in a recent study vastly improved when they were given 6 capsules of fish oil per day, even more than children being prescribed Ritalin. Restlessness and school performance improved significantly from omega-3 supplementation and concentration improved by 33%! Even after 30 weeks of taking fish oil supplements, the children continued to show increasing improvement.
This is great news because fish oil doesn’t have any of the negative side effects that Ritalin does, which include insomnia, suicidal thoughts, personality changes and heart disease. Ritalin has even been cited as the cause of strokes and heart attacks that have killed several children. Hopefully this news will serve to reverse the ongoing medicated-children epidemic, as there are 330,000 new prescriptions for ADHD drugs every year!
Tags: ADD, ADHD, concentration, fish oil add, fish oil adhd, ritalin
As a clinical psychologist, I frequently assess children with ADHD. For over a year I have recommended supplementing children with at least 1,000 mg of DHA. The results have been amazing. It is not unusual for me to hear from the parent or teacher 6-8 weeks following the start of fish oil in the child’s daily routine. I had one teacher who argued with me that the child MUST be taking Ritalin – the change in behavior and ability to focus was just too great to be caused by fish oil. All parents should try supplementing their children with Omega 3 EFAs prior to the initiation of prescription medication.
What is the best supplement out there for kids? How do you get young kids to take it if theycannot swallow large pills?
Dr. Kilpatrick,
My 12-year-old son has been taking Adderall for 3 1/2 years, with awesome results (he is ADD, has no hyperactivity). However, with the recent concerns about stimulant medication, I am becoming increasingly more scared for him to continue taking it. I have done a lot of reading about omega-3 EFAs lately and have ordered some for him from GNC. I would like to start him on it as soon as I can, but do I need to wean him from the Adderall first (he takes 20 mg a.m.)? How should I go about this transition, and can I give them simultaneously or not? I ordered a capsule that has 850 mg EPA, 200 mg DHA, 180 mg other O-3s, and 30 IU of Vitamin E. My son weighs about 95 pounds. Does this capsule sound appropriate?
Thank you for your help!!
Sincerely,
Jeanie Cape
how much of each is recommened i currently use 1000mg EPA and 150mg of DHA is this enough of omegas.
How much fish oil would a 170 lb man take?
6 capsules of how many mg?
How do you give this to children? My daughter is 3 1/2. I know the stuff tastes awful.
Kathy
Hi, Omega 3 fish oil was recommended by my doctor as a supplement along with my medication for ADD. I’ve read about the benefits, especially for children with autism. I have a son with autism and bipolar disorder. He’s on meds for the bipolar, and I would love to try a liquid form of fish oil on him.
But one thing I am wondering is, can I just try this on him, or should I consult his doctor first. He has an appointment this coming Monday, is it worth discussing with her, or should I just go with my maternal instincts and try something that could be beneficial for him. I guess what I’m trying to figure out is….with the fish oil be ok to take with Topomax & Ceroquel?
Thankyou
Vanessa
Fish Oil has cured my ADHD. I have been taking almost 4 grams daily of an EPA / DHA mixture. I keep changing and my focus keeps getting more powerful.
I’m really liking your website.
I’m not sure what dose of omega 3 I should give my son who is 9yrs old that takes metadate cd
Dr. Kilpatrick,
My 12-year-old son has been taking Adderall for 3 1/2 years, with awesome results (he is ADD, has no hyperactivity). However, with the recent concerns about stimulant medication, I am becoming increasingly more scared for him to continue taking it. I have done a lot of reading about omega-3 EFAs lately and have ordered some for him from GNC. I would like to start him on it as soon as I can, but do I need to wean him from the Adderall first (he takes 20 mg a.m.)? How should I go about this transition, and can I give them simultaneously or not? I ordered a capsule that has 850 mg EPA, 200 mg DHA, 180 mg other O-3s, and 30 IU of Vitamin E. My son weighs about 95 pounds. Does this capsule sound appropriate?
This sounds just like my 13 year old son. He also weighs about that much,(92). I have also wanted to get him off the Adderall and thought about fish oil but wasn’t sure how much. My husband and I take 4, 1000 mg,a day, but they are the large capsule, I know he won’t take what we take, I would have to get smaller ones.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Sharen Young
i have a 6 yr old daughter who is having problems in school and i am interested in sterting her on fish oil capsules i dont know which ones and what strength to use she weighs about 49 lbs.
Dr. Kirkpatrick,
At what age do you recommend starting the supplements? My 3yo is receiving OT for sensory processing disorder and fish oil has been suggested. The literature I’m reading is for age 4+. Is there any concern about sequestration of the fat soluble vitamins A,D,E, and K when taking the fish oil supplements?
My 10yr old son was diagnosed with ADHD 2 years ago. His doctor put him on Adderal 10mg. Amazing results, but I am concerned about the the health risks. I was reading about fish oil, this too sounds amazing, but how much would I give him? I take fish oil everday, but he is NOT going to want to take those large pills.
MY GRANDAUGHTERS 11 AND 3 BOTH HAVE ADD OR ADHD. WHAT MG OF FISH OIL DO WE GIVE THEM?
I have a brother with adult ADHD who takes Ritalin, and for whom the medicine is very effective. Would fish oil also be worth considering for him, or have the results been mainly in children with ADD/ADHD?
I have a 7 year old son. He was on Statra. I didn’t like what I was seeing with him. He was not eating and not sleeping well. I toke him to his doctor. I told him what was going on. So his way of fixing the problem was a higher amount of mg. So then I seen my son getting worst. So then I started looking other places for answers. I started doing research. And found out about Omega 3 and that it didn’t have a nyside effects. I was excited about that. So I started my son on 1000mg of Omega 3. I was wondering how lond does it take to get in his system?
Hi Dr. Kilpatrick,
I recently read an article about fish oil helping people with ADHD. My son Nick is 11 years old. We started him on medicine in first grade. He has tried several meds but the effects have been more negative than positive so we decided to take him off the medicine. He has done alright in third and forth grade but attention is still very much a problem. I would like to help him any way I can and since Fish Oil is good for you, I figured this is definitely worth a try.
Could you tell me what the correct dosage would be for him? He is 5 feet tall and 85 pounds.
I appreciate your time. Thanks very much.
Patty Selfridge
I am in the same situation. My daughter has recently been diagnosed. So far no meds have worked (we haven’t tried adderal yet). But I saw an article about the fish oil and went for it. I found a smaller version of a pill called Children’s DHA by Nordic Naturals. I found it at a natural foods store. It’s expensive and it has only 252 mg of total Omega-3’s. So I’ve been mixing the big pills (1/2 tsp fish oil wherever I can into her food (ketchup, tuna fish sandwiches, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches). I’d like it more convenient but until I find it, that’s what I’m doing. Hope that helps some of you.
Hello My 5 year old has ADHD and I want to take him off the meds because of all the side affects he is having trouble with. Could you please tell me what kind and how much of The Fish Oil to give him and does it come in a form easy for a small child to take the pills are way to big. Thank you very much. Veronica D
My son has been through medicines from A to Z for this disorder. He is now 20 and has refused to take any medication since he turned 18. He has a difficult time focusing in school. I have taken Fish Oil for a year and never thought to have him try any. He was always on a high dosage of Concerta, the Pediatrician had to sign a waiver so I could have it filled. He is now 6 foot and 190 lbs. Is it trial and error with the dosage for Fish Oil? I spent his lifetime trying to regulate meds. We tried everything before putting him on meds, but nothing worked with careless attitude. Hopefully this may.
My daughter is six years old. I was wondering what dosage of omega 3 to give her she weighs about 45 lbs.
My 10 year old son was just diagnosed with ADHD in the past month. I always new something wasnt quite right but thaught he would grow out of it. His grades have been slowly falling as he goes into each higher grade and I finally took him to a Psychologist and demanded that his school run learning disability tests. This is not something that the school offers, they dont volunteer there helo at all. I kept thinking if there is something not right they will help, they will say something, No they dont. I asked his teachers for help and even asked specifically if they had tests they could run to see what was wring and she told me no. I have had another appointment with his Psychologist and she is recommending seeing a pediatrician and getting advice from them on different types of treatment including medications. I have looked up these medications and seeing that some parents are even taking there children off of them to try the fish oils, I will be trying this first. I like to hear other parents feedback so we can possibly eleviate each others struggles with giving our experiences. Now I know to rey the fish oils first and dthen if need be, we can try a low dose of whatever the Dr. would recommend. Thank to everyone who shares there stories. It helps!
My 6 year old son has ADHD and I am opposed to putting him on stimulant medication until all else fails. I spoke to my pediatrician and he is somewhat skeptical about the results of fish oil, Omega-3’s. My husband has been taking the Nordic Naturals and has been feeling wonderful. My son who is 6 cannot swallow a pill so I’m not sure how to get him the correct dose and formulation. Can you help me?
Thank you.
My 6, soon to be 7 year old has ADHD. He has had problems with Adderal and Ritalin (mania, irritability, sleep distrubance and loss of appetite). I would like to try him on fish oil but it is difficult to get him to take capsules, especially big ones. What dosage would you recommend (he is 49 lbs.) ? Any brands have a less fishy taste?
Interested in knowing how much omega 3 to give a 22 yr old
(6′4″ and 185 lbs) who has ADHD and on no meds. Thanks
Can I give my 10 year old son 1200 mg of fish oil. He is 120 lbs. And 5′0. So he’s a big. Boy for his age.
how much fish oil should i give my 2nd grader that is bipolar but the doctor say he is adhd.
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