July 1, 2013 — It has long been claimed that fish is good for the brain – and now a study has discovered children who struggle with reading have low levels of essential fish fats in their blood.
Omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA, found in fish and seafood, are essential for the brain’s structure and function as well as for maintaining a healthy heart.
Research carried out at Oxford University and published in the journal PLOS One, found children’s blood levels of DHA “significantly predicted” how well they were able to concentrate and learn.
Blood omega-3 levels were studied in 493 UK schoolchildren aged from seven to nine.
Parents also reported on their child’s diet, with almost nine out of 10 children eating fish less than twice a week and nearly one in 10 having no fish at all.
All the children were thought to have below average reading skills, based on national assessments at the age of seven or their teachers’ judgments.
Read the full story at the Express