A STUDY of primary school children has found that supplements of fish and plant oils could push them from the bottom of class to the top in just two terms.

The study, which covered a dozen primary schools, concludes that giving youngsters such ¿brain food¿ supplements causes dramatic improvements in reading age and numeracy.

The authors claim the effects were so marked that some formerly disruptive pupils signed up for library cards, while others developed a love of classical music. Overall, more than 40% are said to have improved their scores in intelligence tests.

Submitted for possible publication in The Lancet, the medical journal, the study was based on the theory that modern diets lack some of the oils and fatty acids essential for the brain and nervous system. Dr Madeleine Portwood, a psychologist with Durham education authority who led the research, said the results were impressive. ¿A quarter of the 123 children given the supplements showed reading age improvements of between 18 months and 4.5 years. We had nine-year-olds go from a reading age of eight up to 13.¿

Head teachers across County Durham were asked to select youngsters who showed slight difficulties with learning, memory, concentration or behaviour.The children were given psychological and academic tests to measure their numeracy, literacy, memory, concentration, co-ordination and other factors.

Half were then given the supplements and the rest a placebo for three months before being tested again. Many of the children on the supplements showed such improvements that the researchers decided to put them all on the supplements for a further three months.

¿We have to stress that not all the children benefited but there were clear improvements in more than 40%. That is highly significant for both schools and parents,¿ said Portwood.

Among the youngsters who showed startling improvements was Elliott Best, 9, whose academic performance and behaviour were all well below average for his age.

Andrew Westerman, head teacher at Timothy Hackworth primary, where Elliott goes to school, said: ¿He had great problems writing anything down, his reading was poor and he couldn¿t concentrate. Within a few weeks of starting the trial all that had changed and he now describes his favourite lessons as writing stories and reading.¿

This week Elliott will feature in the first programme of a new BBC series presented by Robert Winston called The Human Mind. Sheila Brown, Elliott¿s mother, said: ¿He got top grades in his Sats tests, developed a taste for classical music and wants me to take him to see the Moscow ballet.¿

The idea that psychological and intellectual abilities might be closely linked to diet is not new. However, the theory that a small group of fatty acid molecules might have a particularly powerful effect is recent and still controversial.

One of its main architects was Dr David Horrobin, a British researcher, who discovered links between diets lacking such molecules and mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

Horrobin ¿ who died recently ¿ pointed out that three fatty acids, known as EPA, DHA and GLA, comprise up to 30% of brain and eye tissue. He suggested that early man would have evolved with a supply from freshly caught fish, shellfish, plants and other natural foods. Modern diets ¿ especially if processed or long-life foods are heavily featured ¿ are relatively deficient in all three acids.

Portwood will post details of her work on a website (www.durhamtrial.org) tomorrow. ¿These children were slightly below par but essentially normal. It is possible some adults may also benefit,¿ she said.

The Food Standards Agency recommends salmon, trout, and mackerel for people looking to increase their intake of fish oils. It warned recently, however, that some fish such as tuna and cod can contain high levels of mercury and dioxin, especially dangerous to pregnant women. The oils used in the study were extracted from sardines.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Tree stump 'shows image of Virgin Mary'
• BBC drops Strictly judge for younger model
• Trafalgar Square 'reduced to a spectacle'