Fish oil brain study 'meaningless'

London, September 26: Giving fish oil capsule daily to a child will help in improving his grades! The world's biggest experiment conducted by researchers in Britain to prove the point has been dismissed by the scientists, calling it "meaningless".

Researchers from the Durham County Council, London, UK, had revealed in 2006 that young children who received Omega-3 supplements during the school year did better in examinations.

More than 3,000 children were involved in the study who were given Eye Q fish oil capsules by the researchers daily for a period of 6 months leading up to their exams.

The capsules provided were rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty, which is absent in modern diets and which many experts believe are essential for the development and proper maintenance of the brain.

They had found that kids who continued taking the fish oil supplements got two grades higher in their General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations, an average of 17.7 points more, as compared to those who did not take the capsules.

The findings of the study have now been dismissed by scientists due to the fact that they did not include a second control group in which children would have been given placebo.

The head of nutrition, Professor Tom Sanders, at King's College, London, said, "No conclusions can be made about the benefits or otherwise. Parents who agree to supplementation of their children may differ with regard to motivate and support their children compared with those that do not."

"Making comparisons with a group that did not take supplements introduces selection bias. The conclusions cannot be trusted," he said.

Dave Ford, of Durham County Council's Children and Young People's Services, that conducted the study, said he was quite 'upset' by the criticism his study has got from the scientific community. He added that the counsel did not claim the results of its GCSE study could be attributed to Omega-3 supplements alone.

He also said, "This study has produced some interesting and possibly exciting issues that could be the basis for future scientific trials."

"There seem to be some very clear indications that pupils taking the supplement do significantly better," Mr Ford added.

Moreover, some experts believe even though the study was not conducted properly, this does not mean that fish oil supplements do not have any health benefits.

Many studies show that fish oil is the best source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation, protect heart against the abnormal clotting associated with cardiacdefine arrests, inhibit cancerdefine, and protect brain function.

A previous study, published in the journal Lancet (1992), suggested that omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital nutrients, prolong pregnancy by a few days and improve birth weights of the child.