1 October 2003 - BBC1: Omega-3 and The Human Mind

The 'flagship' programme in Lord Winston's new documentary series on the Human Mind featured a case study from the research trial that has been going on in County Durham. This trial was set up by Alex Richardson of Oxford University in collaboration with Madeleine Portwood of Durham LEA, and its aim has been to find out whether supplementing the diet with Omega-3 fatty acids can help to boost the progress of children with specific learning difficulties.

Contrary to some very misleading reports that have been appearing in the media (particularly in the Sunday Times and the Northern Echo) NO formal results from this trial are yet available, as the full treatment codes for the study have not yet been broken. Anyone wanting to be kept updated by the academic researchers involved should sign up here for our free Email alert service.

The programme nonetheless featured some promising anecdotal evidence from children who took part, their parents and their teachers.

The BBC web pages accompanying the series include a good article explaining the rationale for the trial and the role of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain. Further information on this topic is also available elsewhere on this site (via the Search box, or our Nutrition pages)