A STUDY SHOWS THAT CONTINUED CONSUMPTION OF OMEGA 3 DHA FATTY ACIDS BENEFITS THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN
PULEVA Biotech presents the conclusions of this study within the framework of the Spanish Paediatrics Association Conference which is being held in Santiago de Compostela from 5th to 7th of June.
The research was carried out in collaboration with the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the University of Granada, the Granada Delegation of the Regional Government of Andalucia and the CSIC, over the course of 5 months, with 119 children between 8 to 14 years of age.
Through a nutritional and cognitive evaluation, the study has enabled us to establish the beneficial effects of the continued consumption of a milk drink enriched with Omega 3 DHA upon specific parameters relating to the cognitive development of children and their intellectual performance.
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The R+D centre of PULEVA Biotech carried out this study in collaboration with the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the University of Granada, the Granada Delegation of the Regional Government of Andalucia and the CSIC.
The research showed that continued consumption of a milk drink enriched with DHA fatty acids significantly improves certain cognitive skills in children, which in turn affects intellectual performance.
The study was carried out with 119 healthy children of both sexes and of between 8 and 14 years of age, from 3 educational centres in Granada and randomly divided into two groups. For 5 months, the children continued with their usual diet, 60 of whom included in this diet a milk product enriched with minerals, vitamins, honey and fish oil rich in DHA, and the 59 remaining children, full fat milk.
In the nutritional evaluation an average increase of 20% of DHA in the plasma of children subjected to the ingestion of enriched milk was observed. This same analysis group experienced a significant improvement in memory relating to numerical work (17%), reading speed (19%) and reading comprehension (19%).
Cognitive parameters were analysed, of intellectual and behavioural performance (Wechsler Intelligence Scale, EVALUA Psychopedagogical Series and Conner's Revised-Conduct Scale for parents and teachers): as well as anthropometric parameters (weight, height, body mass index and abdominal perimeter), biochemical measurements (cholesterol, DHA in plasma, iron, calcium), immunity and nutritional evaluation.
The growth stage is a critical period for the child, as it presents a series of special nutritional and energetic requirements that make a balanced diet very important for correct physical and intellectual development.
PULEVA
Biotech, pioneering
company in the research and development of functional foods, has spent
years researching the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids on the health of
both adults and children.