Increasing DHA and EPA intake (through supplementation) can improve asthma in children by reducing the
concentrations of arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid is the precursor of inflammatory 4-series leukotrienes. The
ingestion of fish oil supplements shifts leukotrienes synthesis from series 4 to series 5, which are less inflammatory,
helping to relieve asthma symptoms and improving respiratory function.8,9,10
3. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Some evidence suggests that children with ADHD may have significantly lower proportions of plasma
Docosahexaenoic Acid, which may reflect an impairment in the ability to convert EPA into DHA, or enhance
metabolism of EPA and DHA.
Burgess et al, are conducting a large intervention trial with ADHD children to see if essential fatty acid
supplementation yields an improvement over placebo.11