"..encouraged to cut down on fatty snacks and fizzy drinks and be more active. "

It's not the fish oil : it's the lack of junk, regular exercise, and going to bed early that did it!

And FOUR participants is not a study worth of ink.

The quality of journalism in this rag is as bad as the Sun.

It didn't use to be ... did it ?

This study lacks rigour. The sample size is far too small to be scientifically valid and the addition of two additives at the same time (fish oil and EPA) makes it impossible to identify which, if either, of these two additives has a correlation to the apparent effects.
Fish oil is also a highly suspect source of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, since UK fish are commonly polluted with heavy metals such as mercury. Far better to source your omega 3 and omega 6 from a source such as linseed which is not so likely to be contaminated.

1. Ginster's Pastie

Spot on

Its certainly true that the study proves nothing because of the small sample size and like of control over variables etc. Nonetheless it probably justifies funding for further research which is no doubt why the scientists involved sent out the press releases that newspapers love reprinting as an alternative to doing any actual journalism.

I tend to agree that cutting out fizzy drinks, eating less junk food, taking more exercise, going to bed early and not having a TV in the child's bedroom all are likely to have positive effects on a child's ability to concentrate and are more worth pursuing than another "miracle" pill.

Agreed with Ginster on this one.....Ditch the junk food.....especially the Aspartame sweetened foods, chewing gum and drinks........And switch the TV off, spend more time with YOUR kids and start giving them books to read........The key here is spending time with your kids......you maybe surprised at how well they respond :)

The Scotsman has taken to the habit of making the news as apposed to reporting the news. Once the readership falls below 40k, then the Scotsman will be no more.

I think the journalist involved is related to "John West"! Not even a strong wind in a tea cup!

".... Dietary supplement sees children's mental powers advance by three years in three months ... "

Where can I get me some of this stuff??

this is so bad, its hardly worth even beginning to criticise it line by line.

I ate some carrots yesterday and afterwards could do a crossword puzzle...if i can find 3 other people who felt the same, would we get a report in the Scotsman?

Poor old Ben Goldacre over in the Guardian has been campaigning for better reporting of "science" issues for years. One of his biggest running sores has been the whole fish oil-superbrain thing, particularly the county Durham "trials" which are far from scientific. This article though today, is really pathetic in terms of "scientific" rigour.

I'm disappointed in The Scotsman for giving this rubbish publicity. This is not research. Subjective observations of 4 kids mean nothing. And yet this so-called study is getting widespread coverage across what appears to be a highly gullible TV and newspaper media.

The comments above say it all - this is disgraceful reporting, giving publicity to observations that bear no relationship to true research.

Remember that creepy book Flowers for Algernon?

I take your points above re the suspect nature of the study, but I still think it's worth giving our MSPs Omega 3 supplements, on their expense accounts, just in case it makes a difference.

Neil #14 - thanks for the laugh this morning - and why stick at the MSPs, what about the MEPs and the MPs? Suspect it would take more than that to make a decent PM of Bliar though.

#1 I agree with you . How can you conduct a scientific study with only 4 children. 100 children would give this experiment more credibility. As usual more sensationalism by the Scotsman.

Number 1 and every one else who agreed - spot on!

If it is researched more thoroughly with a much larger sample group, and found to be true, we can look forward to the Government adding fish oil to school dinners to compensate for our childrens' inability to read or write!

This is Channel 5 science - 45 mins to sell the story - I wonder if the scientists would have publicised the work if they hadn't been associated with the TV - I doubt if this will get them any funding either - their study plan (two supplements, a retrospective control and planned changes in other behaviours) suggests that they are poor scientists...

Why do you need a bigger survey group. Does anyone believe fizzy drinks and junk food can be good for you? Requiring dietary supplements means that what you are eating is bad. It's been known for years that Omega 3, etc is good for you, artificial colourants, flavourants, etc are bad.

My Son gave me a good tip. Don't touch any fat which is solid at room temperature. I cook with Olive Oil and use Mayonnaise instead of butter or marg, but I don't eat much bread anyway. Cooking with Olive Oil is actually cheaper, because you don't use much and it doesn't burn away as much.

That's perhaps a good tip for you SCARAMOUCHE, if you're not already doing it. Stay away from any fat which is solid at room temperature.

Of course you need a bigger sample group. There is no research on earth that can be taken to be rigorous. Four children? Research? What a load of trash.... but interesting trash if REAL research prodces the same findings with a sample of, say, 500.

Sorry, my words got jumbled in#22 (I'm obviously not taking enough fish oil!!!)

I meant to say there's no way on earth this research can be taken to be rigorous!

This is spooky, I read a junal artcle about this just 3 days ago. It was published in Feb this year.

I'm very sceptical about things I read about "wonder suplement" which prevents acording to varous Scientis, Health shops, suplyers of suplements, which appears to me to have been suggeste as: a cure just about every illness that exists, helps improve concenttration, meoray, reading ect, metal health problems, movement problems. WOW that Omega-3 (& othe EFAs) is Just pure amasing. But I find it hard to belive it's acure for everthing that its been claimed to be.

The problem is EFA is useful in the diet but large doesges of any nutrent can give side afects (ect. Head aches, stomaic aches, dieareeia ect), and there is also the problem that high dosage of EFA such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 don't work for every one who has problems with "reading, concentration, memory and problem-solving skills."

I've tryed Flaxseed oil (It' tastes bogin) and cod liver oil capoules in the pass. The capoules made me feel sick (so I only took them for a few months), the flaxseed oil had no effect on me what so ever. What I find helps consentration is to eat a balance healthy deit, drink plenty of water and sleep for about 8 hours.

Of course a study of four kids doesn't mean anything on its own but it's just one more straw in the wind.
We've been told for decades that fish was good for the brain and lots of people knew it wasn't just an old wives tale even though they didn't know why or how it worked.
I'm more torubled by Kerr's total lack of brain in trying to ban trans fats. Bakers in NY are having to change their recipes to avoid using butter (that's BUTTER, for God's sake) because Star*ucks won't accept anything AT ALL with even the smallest amount of totally natural trans fat in it.
Typical of this crew. Government by band wagon.

#25. Yada: I take it you haven't knowen anyone who had/ has CHD/CVD!

Banning butter does seem a wee bit in the extrem, because thats possible a good source of Vit A & D for people who are still eatting to much high fattty & sugary food and no much fruit or veg. I thought butter had saturated fat and trans fat was man made in most cases.

Trans fats are a problem because their mostly hinden in foods, everyone should be able to relaise that butter has fat in it, but with other food such some breakfast cereals have trans fat and no one really assosates them with containing fat. Though people eat more saturated fat, there possibly aware that the food they are eatting has a relatily high fat content.

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/healthydiet/fssq/#A218418

Now they come out with fish oil. Buy it from Spain, eh? Didn't the Hootsman realise we're about to have a unionist election campaign?

#32. weeshooie1: One problem

Cod liver oil is high in Vit A & D. Too much Vit D means you absorb too much Calium (Ca) and develop Ca deposits. Too much Vit A can lead to seroses of the Liver.