Protective effects of dietary supplementation with natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on the visual acuity of school-age children with lower IQ or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

卷:31

Wu, Qiaoling ; Zhou, Tingting ; Ma, Liping ; Yuan, Dongjuan ; Peng, Yongmei

关键词: omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids;    School-age children;    Visual acuity;    Dietary supplementation;    Lower IQ;    Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.nut.2014.12.026

学科分类：食品科学和技术

【 摘 要 】

Objective: Little attention has been paid to the possible protective role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on the visual acuity of school-age children with lower IQs or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary omega-3 PUFAs on the visual acuity and red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid compositions of these children. Methods: We randomly assigned 179 children with lower IQs or ADHD to receive ordinary eggs (control group, n = 90) or eggs rich in C18:3 omega-3, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 omega-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 omega-3) for 3 mo (study group, n = 89). Before and after the intervention, distance visual acuity was tested using an E chart and the RBC fatty acid composition was determined using capillary gas chromatography. Results: Three months later, 171 children completed the follow-up with the exception of 8 children who were unavailable during follow-up. Both groups of children showed a significant improvement in visual acuity (P < 0.05), however, visual acuity in the study group was significantly better than that of the control group (P = 0.013). The C18:3 omega-3 (P = 0.009), DHA (P = 0.009) and Sigma omega-3 (P = 0.022) levels of the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group, while the C20:4 omega-6 (P = 0.003), C22:4 omega-6 (P = 0.000), Sigma omega-6 (P = 0.001), Sigma omega-6/Sigma omega-3 (P = 0.000) and arachidonic acid/DHA (P = 0.000) of the study group were significantly lower than those of the control group. No significant differences in the levels of C18:2 omega-6 (P = 0.723), C20:2 omega-6 (P = 0.249), C20:3 omega-6 (P = 0.258), C20:5 omega-3 (P = 0.051), or C22:5 (P = 0.200) were found between the two groups. Conclusions: Dietary supplementation with omega-3 PUFAs improves both visual acuity and the RBC fatty acid profile in school-age children with lower IQs or ADHD. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.