What's the best ratio DHA, EPA?

[lisle]

Well,
I will never stop trying but I am not finding any difference in using the omega 3's even though I continue to do so. I used Max EPA for a couple of years for my 12 yr. old and it definitely improved cholesterol but not concentration or mood. I am going to experiment with other brands and doses now. I bought one today make by Natural Factors that is pharmaceutical grade and has 400 EPA and 240 DHA. I am thinking perhaps the brand I bought before wasn't too good (NOW). I have always found Natural Factors to make superior products, so I have hopes for this. My question is what ratio of EPA and DHA are you using daily if you are seeing results?
Feingold is out for us for now, unfortunately, as my son is very prone to messing with his diet when I am not around and from what I read it isn't worth doing part way.

[catatonic]

Lisle,
There are two factors to consider here. One is that research has demonstrated that 480mg DHA daily is a kind of threshold amount and you need to provide at least that much in order to really see results. Second, newer research seems to indicate that DHA given along with higher amounts of EPA is more effective in addressing ADHD symptoms than is the DHA alone. So the Natural Factors you are using ought to be ideal as long as you are using it twice daily. The Omega-3 I give my son is almost identical to the one you have and I found that after about 6 weeks of daily use, I began to see improvement in his attention span as well as a decrease in his hyper behavior.

We also use the Feingold program, which has been miraculous for us. Without Feingold, the supplements don't seem to do much because there is too much "background noise" from of the things in his diet that he can't tolerate and is perpetually reacting to. I found that putting the entire family on Feingold and only buying food my Challenge Boy could eat cut down on the problems a lot. That way if he went rampaging through the pantry and fridge, everything he grabbed would be safe for him to eat. There were a lot of complaints at first, but after suffering through a number of reactions, the family is now in agreement that they'd rather give up some foods than have to deal with Challenge Boy when he is in his Spaz Boy From H*ll mode.

Mood especially was dramatically improved by the Feingold program (it "cured" him of temper tantrums). Concentration was not helped much, and I am still experimenting to find the most effective way of dealing with that. Omega-3 and magnesium help. You've got a good Omega-3 product which will hopefully have an effect, just remember that it may take a while. According to research on Omega-3 deficiency, it can take as long as 12 weeks of consistent supplementation to correct the problem.

[DenverSarah]

I use the Natural Factors RX plus the Learning Factors as well. I give my 7 year old 1 of each with his breakfast and dinner and this combination has done wonders for him.

Also, we have had wonderful success with the Feingold program. I get upset when I hear people bagging on it.
Usually it's because

a) they tried it themselves and it didn't give them the changes they wanted so they mistakenly assume it doesn't work for anybody

or

b) they tried it 80% and didn't see 80% improvement so they assume that doing it 100% won't be any better. It DOES work but it takes commitment and work and must be done 100%. Those who tried it without those necessary components have no right to declare it ineffective!

Sorry but I just makes me mad that people are so quick to make blanket statements that may deprive other families of something that has been no less than miraculous for ours!

Rule #1 when it comes to ADD/ADHD: EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT and what works for YOU is what matters!

Ok I'm off my soapbox now