Sun, Sep-11-11, 01:01
|
 |
|
|
Plan: Muscle Centric
Stats: 238/153/160
BF:
Progress: 109%
Location: UK
|
|
Study shows regular servings of fish can help pupils spell batter
Quote:
From The Sunday Times
London, UK
11 September, 2011
Study shows regular servings of fish can help pupils spell batter
Children fed omega-3 oil, present in fish and yoghurt, performed far better in spelling tests than those given a placebo
The secret of good spelling could be two fish meals a week. Researchers have discovered that children fed omega-3 oil found in fish performed significantly better in spelling tests than those given a substitute.
The differences were most pronounced in children aged 8-9 and boys appeared to benefit more than girls.
The study adds to growing claims about the advantages of a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, sometimes hailed as a “miracle food” and found in many fish and other foods such as yoghurt. It has been credited with benefits ranging from improving the attentiveness of teenagers to slowing the onset of dementia and protecting against prostate cancer. The researcher who led the study believes the benefits of omega-3 could be gained by eating oily fish such as salmon twice a week or through taking fish oil supplements.
Kerry Lee, senior lecturer in technology education at Auckland University, who presented her findings last week at the British Educational Research Association conference in London, said: “I am still in the early stages of analysis, but I have found that 8 to 9-year-old boys taking omega-3 made fewer spelling errors than the placebo group.”
Lee’s research was carried out over 15 weeks among 174 pupils aged 8-13 at a school in New Zealand. One group was given daily capsules with omega-3 and a placebo group took oil that did not include the supplement.
They were asked to write down as many words beginning with S as they could think of in a five-minute period and as many four-letter words beginning with C in a four-minute period at the start and finish of the trial. The researchers counted the number of spelling mistakes.
In both groups, there was generally a significant increase in the number of words, but not a proportionate increase in errors among those who had taken omega-3 supplements.
The children aged 8-9 showed a decrease in spelling errors, unlike those in the placebo group.
The most significant difference was in spelling among boys aged 8-9. Lee believes that the reason younger boys appeared to benefit most could be related to the parts of the brains they were using and the fact that boys in general lag behind girls in developing literacy, so had more room for improvement.
“My grandchildren love fish oil so much my daughter- in-law gives them capsules as a reward,” she added.
|
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto...ticle773283.ece |
Linear Mode
