Is there a role for dietary fat modification in managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?
In most children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) the cause is unknown, but thought to be multifactorial. Some researchers have proposed that one cause involves essential fatty acid metabolism. The limited data available relate to school-aged children rather than pre-schoolers, and indicate some anomalies in blood fatty acid levels of 6–12-year-old boys with ADHD.6 However, the link between this and the expression of behavioural abnormalities has not been established and dietary intervention is not currently warranted.
