Omega-3 Fatty Acids Demonstrate Benefits in Autism

By: Richard G. Boles, M.D.

NeuroNeeds® Announces a New Product Launch for June 1, 2022: OmegaNeeds®

You may have heard about omega-3 fatty acids (abbreviated omega-3s and pronounced “omega threes”). Omega-3s are among the fatty acids that are essential for life, yet humans cannot make them. Thus, we need to obtain these essential micronutrients from our diet. As other animals cannot make these polyunsaturated fatty acids either, we obtain them from plants in our diet (e.g., vegetables), or from certain animals that themselves obtain them from plants or algae (mostly seafood). However, while historical diets were often loaded in omega-3s, most modern diets are quite low.

Omega-3s, especially DHA and EPA, are often recommended by physicians and other health care providers for good heart health, including improved lipid/cholesterol levels, and for good general health, including for healthy blood sugar, joints, hair, and skin.

You may also have heard that omega-3 fatty acids have been studied in many brain disorders. They are critical for membrane fluidity and other properties, and are essential for brain development, learning, and vision. In particular, several studies have shown that omega-3s are helpful in autism, including benefits in alertness, stereotypy, hyperactivity, irritability, social withdrawal and communication (PubMed IDentification: 11487301, 16920077, 18072818, 22370992, 24839884, 28218722, 29490101, 30744880, and 32759851). Indeed, omega-3s are among the micronutrients that have the best evidence of positive effects in autism, and most strongly recommended by progressive autism specialists. The same is true regarding ADHD (PMID: 11817499, 14669965, 17435458, 21807480, 21961774, 26966583, 27555775 28741625, 29207548, and 32759851).

Main commercial sources of omega-3s are from fish oil and krill oil.

Fish oil:

• Source: Small oily fishes (e.g., anchovies and sardines) found in cold ocean waters.
• Advantage: Relatively inexpensive, so high dosing is available in premium products to promote health throughout the body including heart health.
• Disadvantage: Brain uptake is questionable and commercial products may not improve brain health.
• Key information: Premium fish oil products provide high levels of omega-3s for optimization of general health, including heart health.
• Why take fish oil? To promote excellent heart health as well as general health.

Krill oil:

• Source: Krill (a crustacean related to shrimp) found in cold ocean waters.
• Advantage: Omega-3s from krill, but not fish, are bound predominately in the form of phospholipids. This greatly facilitates their uptake into brain for optimized brain health.
• Disadvantage: High dosing is impractical due to costs, and the lower dosing found in commercial products may not improve heart and general health. The FDA does not allow for heart health claims with dosing below 800 mg a day, a threshold that would be extremely expensive using krill as a source.
• Key information: Omega-3 uptake (entrance) into brain is mostly a result of the MFSD2A system. MFSD2A transport is highly efficient at lower concentrations, but ONLY transports omega-3s bound to phospholipids (present in krill, but not fish).
• Why take krill oil? To promote excellent brain health.

Thus, in the past, consumers had a choice:

• Take fish oil and promote good heart and general health, but brain health may not be improved.
• Take krill oil and promote good brain health, but heart and general health may not be improved.

Families often ask me whether their child should be on omega-3s (easy question: “Yes!”) and which type/brand to buy (difficult question). Many of you know that one of my sons has ADHD, and he is on both Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega® (fish oil) and Accentrate110^TM (krill oil). Neither has significant amounts of phosphatidylserine (PS), another fatty micronutrient important in the brain, which was present in a popular ADHD product, Vayarin®, no longer on the market.

Why hasn’t anyone come out with a major product that combines fish and krill oils together?

Dr. Boles hereby announces that he has led his NeuroNeeds® team to design such a product, which will become available for sale on neuroneeds.com on June 1^st!

OmegaNeeds® is a blend including high-dosing of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA & EPA) from fish and phospholipid-bound omega-3s from krill oil, for the promotion of both heart and brain health. OmegaNeeds® also contains additional phosphatidylserine from sunflower.

OmegaNeeds® is designed and intended to be taken with the other NeuroNeeds® products (SpectrumNeeds® or EnergyNeeds®, plus QNeeds®) for comprehensive micronutrition in people with neurological disorders.

Disclosure: Dr. Boles is the Chief Medical & Scientific Officer for NeuroNeeds LLC, the start-up company that makes SpectrumNeeds®, EnergyNeeds®, QNeeds®, and CalmNeeds®. As such, he may receive financial compensation based upon by efforts and/or the success of the company. You are under no obligation to purchase this or any products, whether recommended by Dr. Boles or another health care provider. As always, it is recommended that you contact your physician regarding these products and all other changes to disease management.

The Content within this article and NeuroNews Blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Blog.