Reading plays its role to boost one’s mind. A famous saying is that a book is the most sincere friend of a human.
Reading is a source of language attainment, communication, and sharing information and ideas. But reading something becomes difficult for children. Now the question is why do children struggle with reading?
Oxford University Researcher
An Oxford University researcher has shown that this difficulty is due to the low level of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood. Omega-3 DHA is a component of long-chain fatty acid, which enables the children to know how well they could gain knowledge of and focus on.
In the department of Social Policy, this study presented. And Intervention at the conference by co-authors Dr. Alex Richardson and Professor Paul Montgomery from Oxford University. This study first time reveals the level of Omega-3 in UK schoolchildren and how children struggle with learning?.
Omega-3 Fats and its importance
These Omega-3 fats are present in fish, seafood, and some algae and are very important for our immune system because they boost up the structure and function of the mind. In this study, questions about children’s diet asked by parents. This reveals that nine out of ten children ate fish less than 2 times a week and one in ten never ate fish at all.
For a healthy diet, one must eat at least two portions of fish a week because it fulfills the requirement of the body to build up the immune system as well as for better functioning of the brain. Like vitamins, Omega-3 plays an important part in our life. In Oxfordshire, 74 ordinary schools were selected for experimental purposes. 493 schoolchildren’s blood samples were collected. And their ages ranged from seven to nine years.
These students have less than normal reading skills based on the national review at the age of seven or their teacher’s reviews. After the experiment, researcher analysis shows that only 2 percent of children have Omega-3 DHA in their blood and 0.5 percent have Omega-3 EPA( Eicosapentaenoic acid).
But to balance cardiovascular health in adults, this value is below average. According to the researchers, the optimal percentage of Omega-3 is 8-12% for a healthy heart.
Omega-3 fatty acids in the blood predict a child’s behavior and ability to focus on things according to Professor Paul Montogomery.
Behavioural issues were due to the high level of Omega-3 in blood. However, due to genetic differences, this study does not apply to more ethically different populations because the metabolism of Omega-3 is different in different populations.
