regard to their executive abilities.^21 And for children with
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is
often described as an executive function problem,* as well
as for typically developing children, attention has been
shown in some studies to improve with omega-3
supplementation.^22 (Were the margarine and grain oils I
grew up eating directly responsible for my issues? I’ll never
know for sure—but it wouldn’t be hard to believe.)
When it comes to shifting our fat intake toward a
healthier state, anytime is the right time—even if that means
simply adding a fish oil supplement, according to a trial out
of Berlin’s Charité Hospital.^23 In this study, adults were
given daily omega-3 supplements containing 1320
milligrams EPA and 880 milligrams DHA. After twenty-six
weeks, the researchers found that subjects taking the omega-
3 supplements displayed executive function enhanced by 26
percent over the placebo group, who actually saw a slight
decline in their cognition. They also showed an increase in
gray matter volume and “superior white matter structural
integrity.” Think of white matter as the interstate highway
system of the brain, allowing data to be shuttled between
different regions at express-lane speeds. In this study,
omega-3 supplementation seemed to act like an
infrastructural reinforcement team, smoothing out the
potholes on the highway and even adding extra lanes.
Helping you perform better is one thing, but might
adding more omega-3s to your diet help if you were one of
the 450 million people across the globe who suffer from
some kind of mental illness? That’s the question University