Reviewed by Jessie, BSc Biomedical Science · Formulation Lead, Purest Kids
TL;DR — Several trials have tested omega-3 in children with dyslexia. Children with dyslexia show lower omega-3 status than peers, and some trials report modest improvements in reading fluency and behaviour with supplementation. Omega-3 is not a dyslexia treatment, but adequate status supports the myelinated pathways underlying reading speed and phonological processing.
The connection between omega-3 and reading
Dyslexia affects an estimated 5–10% of children and is characterised by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition, phonological awareness, and spelling. It is a neurological condition — not a reflection of intelligence — and its causes are multifactorial. Among the nutritional factors that have been studied in relation to dyslexia, omega-3 fatty acids have received the most research attention.
The biological rationale
Reading fluency depends in part on the speed and efficiency of auditory and visual processing — the ability to rapidly decode speech sounds and letter patterns. These processes rely on fast neural signalling along myelinated pathways, and DHA is a key structural component of myelin and neural membranes. Children with dyslexia have been found in several studies to have lower omega-3 status than age-matched controls without reading difficulties.
What the trials show
The most cited research in this area comes from Dr Alex Richardson and colleagues at Oxford University. A randomised controlled trial published in Pediatrics found that omega-3 supplementation (including EPA and DHA) significantly improved reading and spelling scores in children aged 5–12 with developmental coordination disorder and reading difficulties, compared to placebo. A separate trial specifically in children with dyslexia found improvements in reading accuracy and phonological processing with omega-3 supplementation.
Not all trials have found significant effects. A Cochrane review of omega-3 for dyslexia concluded that the evidence was promising but limited by study heterogeneity. The effect sizes are modest and vary across studies.
What this means — and does not mean
Omega-3 supplementation is not a treatment for dyslexia. It does not replace specialist literacy support, phonics instruction, or the educational interventions that have the strongest evidence base for reading difficulties. For children with dyslexia who are also likely to be omega-3 deficient, addressing the deficiency is a reasonable nutritional step alongside — not instead of — those interventions.
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References
- Richardson AJ, Montgomery P. "The Oxford-Durham study: a randomized, controlled trial of dietary supplementation with fatty acids in children with developmental coordination disorder." Pediatrics, 2005.
- Snowling MJ. "Dyslexia: a very short introduction." Oxford University Press, 2019.
- Kirby A, et al. "A double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigating the effects of omega-3 supplementation in children aged 8-10 years from a mainstream school population." Research in Developmental Disabilities, 2010.