Search the NeLM

Medicines A-Z
Find key information about medicines by name (prototype)
Fish oil supplements in dyslexia - is there evidence of benefit?

Original article by: Based on earlier work by Larissa Sullivan

Publisher: North West Medicines Information Centre

Keywords: Fish Oils; Dyslexia;

Date published: 07/02/2012 16:32

Review date: 31/01/2014 00:00

Summary
by: Lindsay Banks
  • There is some evidence that a deficiency in essential omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is involved in the aetiology of dyslexia in males (a correlation has yet to be found in females).
  • There is little published literature to support the efficacy and safety of PUFA supplementation using fish oils in dyslexia. Available studies have examined the effect of fish oil supplements in children with a broad range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including dyslexia. There is very limited evidence to suggest that supplementation may produce a clinical improvement in some cases, but larger randomised controlled trials are required to confirm this.
  • The eye q supplement was used in the largest study in children, the Oxford-Durham trial, but there are no published dose-finding studies or head-to-head comparisons of different PUFA supplements. Consequently the ideal dose for supplementation is unknown, as is whether there are any meaningful differences between the available preparations.
  • There are few reports of adverse effects associated with fatty acid supplements in published trials. However, fish oils can cause gastrointestinal disturbances. Increases in bleeding time and adverse effects on the metabolic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus may also occur.
  • It is not possible to draw conclusions about the long-term safety and efficacy of fish oil supplements as the published trials have only been of a maximum of 6 months duration. Further long-term studies specifically investigating the effect of fish oil supplements in dyslexia are required.
QA113_4_Fish_oils_dyslexia[1]2012Final.doc

Preview your comment

Add new comment

Comment text:

Comments

There are no comments yet. You could be the first! You must be Logged In to comment.
Back