A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial investigating the behavioural effects of vitamin, mineral and n-3 fatty acid supplementation in typically developing adolescent schoolchildren

Abstract

Nutrient deficiencies have been implicated in anti-social behaviour in schoolchildren; hence, correcting them may improve sociability. We therefore tested the effects of vitamin, mineral and n-3 supplementation on behaviour in a 12-week double-blind randomised placebocontrolled trial in typically developing UK adolescents aged 13-16 years (n 196). Changes in erythrocyte n-3 and 6 fatty acids and some mineral and vitamin levels were measured and compared with behavioural changes, using Conners' teacher ratings and school disciplinary records. At baseline, the children's PUFA (n-3 and n-6), vitamin and mineral levels were low, but they improved significantly in the group treated with n-3, vitamins and minerals (P = 0·0005). On the Conners disruptive behaviour scale, the group given the active supplements improved, whereas the placebo group worsened (F = 5·555, d = 0·35; P = 0·02). The general level of disciplinary infringements was low, thus making it difficult to obtain improvements. However, throughout the school term school disciplinary infringements increased significantly (by 25 %; Bayes factor = 115) in both the treated and untreated groups. However, when the subjects were split into high and low baseline infringements, the low subset increased their offences, whereas the high-misbehaviour subset appeared to improve after treatment. But it was not possible to determine whether this was merely a statistical artifact. Thus, when assessed using the validated and standardised Conners teacher tests (but less clearly when using school discipline records in a school where misbehaviour was infrequent), supplementary nutrition might have a protective effect against worsening behaviour.

Psychoeducational Psychotherapy and Omega-3 Supplementation Improve Co-Occurring Behavioral Problems in Youth with Depression: Results from a Pilot RCT

“…Another limitation is that participants’ depression symptoms were mild; thus, results may not be generalizable to youth with severe depression. However, results were consistent with previous research demonstrating that CBT (Boylan et al, 2013; Smeets et al, 2015; Sukhodolsky et al, 2004) and omega-3 supplementation (Bos et al, 2015; Raine et al, 2015; Sonuga-Barke et al, 2013; Tammam et al, 2016) are efficacious for behavior problems outside the context of a primary mood disorder, suggesting that the results presented here may generalize to youth without a mood disorder. Intervention lasted only 12 weeks; future studies should address whether benefits of combined treatment (or monotherapies) are maintained or increased over a longer treatment or post-treatment follow-up.…”

“…Thus, the current analyses expand the prior findings by examining effects of PEP, omega-3 supplementation, and their combination on behavior problems among youth with primary depression. Consistent with previous PEP (Boylan et al, 2013) and omega-3 supplementation RCTs (Raine et al, 2015; Tammam et al, 2016), we expected that youth randomized to PEP, omega-3, and combined treatment would experience greater behavioral improvements than the placebo group.…”

“…Bipolar disorder trials offer further evidence for omega-3’s efficacy in treating youth depression symptoms; Clayton et al (2009) not only found benefit for depression and mania symptoms but also for externalizing symptoms. Further, a 12-week RCT of vitamin, mineral, and omega-3 supplementation vs. placebo found that adolescents ( N = 196) experienced greater improvement in disruptive behavior in the supplemented group ( d = 0.35) (Tammam, Steinsaltz, Bester, Semb-Andenaes, & Stein, 2016); a similar RCT indicated that omega-3 yielded greater reduction in behavior problems than did placebo (mean d = 0.59) among 200 youth (Raine, Portnoy, Liu, Mahoomed, & Hibbeln, 2015). Results of trials investigating the effects of PUFA supplementation for ADHD symptoms specifically are fairly mixed (Ahn, Ahn, Cheong, & dela Pena, 2016).…”

Effect of 1 Year Krill Oil Supplementation on Cognitive Achievement of Dutch Adolescents: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

“…They studied a similar population, but the study only lasted 16 weeks, and students only had to take two capsules a day. They reported an adherence of 88% and a drop-out of 4.5% [47]. It is, however, important to note that if LCPUFA supplementation is found to be beneficial, long-term daily high dose intake of capsules might be needed to achieve and sustain effects, which seems to be extra problematic in adolescents.…”

Bioscience and the sociology of education: the case for biosocial education

“…A high ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 in the central nervous system has been shown to have negative effect on neurotransmission (Tammam 2015).…”