According to Western medicine, stimulant medication is the only effective treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although widely accepted, this position is slowly being challenged by the growing number of alternative treatments and natural remedies for ADHD. One of these is omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, which has a high success rate in treating the disorder in children and adults.
For decades, researchers have observed that children with ADHD seem to share the symptoms of an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency. Omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapenataenoic acid) and DHA (docasehaxaenoic acid) are physiologically essential nutrients needed for proper brain development and function. Since the human body cannot manufacture omega-3 fatty acids, we have to obtain them through eating deep-sea fish, nuts, and vegetable oils - foods that are unpopular with children. The lack of omega-3-rich foods in children's meals may be the reason why ADHD is more prevalent today than it was fifty years ago. The scientific evidence showing the effectiveness of omega-3 supplements in treating ADHD is suggestive:
