X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parenting & Play by Friso
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-schooler
    • Kids
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • Money Parenting
    • Tips for Parents
    • Tips for Toddlers
    • Tips for Older Kids
    • The 5 Personas
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Dietary Supplementation Improves Reading Progress and Behaviour

8 Oct, 2012
Dietary Supplementation Improves Reading Progress and BehaviourDietary Supplementation Improves Reading Progress and Behaviour

New University of Oxford Trial Shows Increased DHA Intake Leads to a Gain in Reading Age for Children in the Lowest Reading Percentiles.

Increased dietary intake of algal DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in school-aged children with low reading levels demonstrated significant improvements in reading performance and behavior, according to a new clinical study conducted at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Lead researchers of the study indicated that DHA supplementation appears to be an effective way to improve reading in healthy but underperforming children from mainstream schools.

“Poor reading skills as a child impact all learning and can lead to a host of problems in adulthood,” said lead investigator Alex Richardson, Ph.D., senior research fellow at the University of Oxford and director of Food and Behavior (FAB) Research. “The DHA Oxford Learning and Behavior (DOLAB) trial showed that taking daily algal DHA supplements improved reading performance for the worst readers, and helped these children catch up with their peer group.”

The study results were published in the peer-reviewed PLoS ONE journal on September 6 at dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0043909. The DOLAB trial, an independent study initiated at the University of Oxford, was funded by a grant from DSM Nutritional Products, and DSM’s algal DHA omega-3 oil was used as the active treatment for the intervention.

The DOLAB Trial

The DOLAB Trial was a parallel group, fixed-dose, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to assess whether an increased dietary intake of DHA omega-3 had benefits on reading performance, working memory and behavior in healthy school-aged children. The study population included 362 healthy children aged 7 – 9 years recruited from mainstream state schools in Oxfordshire, U.K. underperforming in literacy skills (<33rd percentile on standardized reading test) but with other abilities within the normal range. The study population was not taking medications for ADHD.

The active treatment intervention was a fixed dose of 600 mg DHA (from algal oil), delivered in 3 x 500 mg capsules/day, each providing 200 mg DHA. The placebo treatment was 3 x 500 mg capsules/day containing corn/soybean oil placebo, matched with active treatment for taste and color. Duration of treatment was 16 weeks with delivery of capsules via schools and parents at other times.

Although no significant treatment effect was observed in the overall population of the lower 33th percentile, the study did find significant improvement in reading performance among the subgroups of children who were underperforming in literacy skills, based on the British Ability Scales (p=.04 among students in the lowest 20th percentile of reading and p<.01 in the lowest 10th percentile of readers). Improvement in reading in these poorer readers was 20 percent andnearly 50 percent greater, respectively, than would normally be expected, helping these children to catch up with their peer group.

In the subgroup of 224 children with initial reading in the lowest 20th percentile, algal DHA led to an additional 0.8 months reading age gain compared with the placebo. In the subgroup of 105 children initially reading in the lowest 10th percentile, the additional reading age gain from algal DHA treatment verses placebo was 1.9 months. In general, children’s reading ages typically increase by four months over a 16-week period.

In addition to the promising results found in the subgroups, an overall effect was found versus placebo in improved parent-reported behavior (ADHD-type symptoms). Analysis showed significant effects of algal DHA over placebo on eight of the 14 scales assessing a range of ADHD-type symptoms. For example, children in the treatment group had fewer oppositional symptoms (p=0.01) and less hyperactivity (p=0.02), as reported by their parents.

Following the positive results found in the subgroup populations, a follow-on study is currently underway at the University of Oxford to explore a larger sample size of children who are underperforming (<20th percentile) in reading performance.

U.S. children struggle with reading

The study results come at a time when many school-aged children lack sufficient reading skills. According to the most recent report card by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), students in the United States continue to struggle with reading, the most fundamental educational skill. More than a third of all fourth-grade public school students cannot read at even the most basic level and another third only reach the level of proficient.

The importance of DHA throughout life

DHA is a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid found throughout the body. It is a major structural fat in the brain, accounting for up to 97 percent of the omega-3 fats in the brain. Numerous studies confirm that everyone, from infants to adults, benefits from an adequate supply of DHA. Throughout every stage of life, DHA is proven to be important for brain health.

life’sDHATM, the source of DHA used in the trial, is a vegetarian and sustainable source of DHA. It can be found in hundreds of supplements and fortified foods and beverages. Additional information about life’sDHA is available at https://www.lifesdha.com.

DSM – Bright Science. Brighter Living.TM

Royal DSM is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. By connecting its unique competences in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to create sustainable value for all stakeholders. DSM delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials. DSM’s 22,000 employees deliver annual net sales of around €9 billion. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext. More information can be found at www.dsm.com.

Partner Stories
NTU Singapore and Marshall Cavendish Education Collaborate to Develop Online Courses for K12 Educators
NTU Singapore and Marshall Cavendish Education Collaborate to Develop Online Courses for K12 Educators
Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers With 3M Girls Can Tinker Program
Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers With 3M Girls Can Tinker Program
3M and Science Centre Singapore Announced 3M Girls Can Tinker, a Year-Long Science Outreach Program for 300 Underprivileged Girls
3M and Science Centre Singapore Announced 3M Girls Can Tinker, a Year-Long Science Outreach Program for 300 Underprivileged Girls
Here’s Why Our VIP Mums Love Kinderland Preschool & Infant Care
Here’s Why Our VIP Mums Love Kinderland Preschool & Infant Care

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Miss Vanda

  • Home
  • /
  • Education
  • /
  • Dietary Supplementation Improves Reading Progress and Behaviour
Share:
  • 3 Simple ways to teach your child to love reading!

    3 Simple ways to teach your child to love reading!

  • The importance of reading a bedtime story to children

    The importance of reading a bedtime story to children

  • ‘A Heart-Wrenching Scene’: Heavily Pregnant Woman Climbs Out Window of 11th Floor Flat to Escape CNB

    ‘A Heart-Wrenching Scene’: Heavily Pregnant Woman Climbs Out Window of 11th Floor Flat to Escape CNB

  • "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

    "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

app info
get app banner
  • 3 Simple ways to teach your child to love reading!

    3 Simple ways to teach your child to love reading!

  • The importance of reading a bedtime story to children

    The importance of reading a bedtime story to children

  • ‘A Heart-Wrenching Scene’: Heavily Pregnant Woman Climbs Out Window of 11th Floor Flat to Escape CNB

    ‘A Heart-Wrenching Scene’: Heavily Pregnant Woman Climbs Out Window of 11th Floor Flat to Escape CNB

  • "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

    "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2022. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.