10.01.12
Nutraceutical: Algal DHA
Indication: Reading performance, working memory and behavior (children)
Source: PLoS ONE journal, September 6, 2012;[Epub ahead of print]
Research: The DOLAB Trial was a parallel group, fixed-dose, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to assess whether an increased dietary intake of DHA omega 3 had benefits on reading performance, working memory and behavior in healthy school-aged children. The study population included 362 healthy children aged 7-9 years recruited from mainstream state schools in Oxfordshire, U.K. underperforming in literacy skills (<33rd percentile on standardized reading test) but with other abilities within the normal range. The study population was not taking medications for ADHD. The active treatment intervention was a fixed dose of 600 mg DHA (from algal oil), delivered in 3 x 500 mg capsules/day, each providing 200 mg DHA. The placebo treatment was 3 x 500 mg capsules/day containing corn/soybean oil placebo, matched with active treatment for taste and color. Duration of treatment was 16 weeks with delivery of capsules via schools and parents at other times.
Results: Although no significant treatment effect was observed in the overall population of the lower 33th percentile, the study did find significant improvement in reading performance among the subgroups of children who were underperforming in literacy skills, based on the British Ability Scales. Improvement in reading in these poorer readers was 20% and nearly 50% greater, respectively, than would normally be expected, helping these children to catch up with their peer group. In the subgroup of 224 children with initial reading in the lowest 20th percentile, algal DHA led to an additional 0.8 months reading age gain compared with the placebo. In the subgroup of 105 children initially reading in the lowest 10th percentile, the additional reading age gain from algal DHA treatment verses placebo was 1.9 months. In general, children’s reading ages typically increased by 4 months over a 16-week period.
In addition to the promising results found in the subgroups, an overall effect was found versus placebo in improved parent-reported behavior (ADHD-type symptoms). Analysis showed significant effects of algal DHA over placebo on eight of the 14 scales assessing a range of ADHD-type symptoms.