NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Some parents swear by fish oil as a
treatment for the “tics” caused by Tourette’s disorder, but so
far the research evidence is slim. In a small study of children
with Tourette’s, researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids were
no better than a placebo at reducing the severity of tics. On
the other hand, children who took omega-3 did show an
improvement in the degree to which their tics bothered them,
researchers reported May 14th in Pediatrics. For now, it’s not
clear what to make of the findings, according to lead researcher
Dr. Vilma Gabbay, of the NYU Child Study Center in New York City
and the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in
Orangeburg, New York. It’s possible that the omega-3 supplements
affected the children’s well-being, said Dr. Gabbay. There is
evidence, for example, that omega-3s can help lift depression
symptoms. But the study was small and had other limitations. And
the bottom line, Dr. Gabbay said, is that larger trials are
needed to see whether