01 August 2014 - Health Canal - Study of NSW inmates shows a lack of Omega-3s relates to aggression

We found a high variability in omega-3 status in the prison population, and inmates with lower omega-3 index were more aggressive and had higher ADD scores,” Professor Meyer (UOW’s School of Medicine, who led the ‘Omega Man’ study) said.

A previous small study in the UK found a 35 per cent reduction in antisocial behaviour after giving omega-3 supplements to young offenders. However, this is the first study to examine blood omega-3 index in conjunction with aggression and attention deficit assessments.

Psychologist and Associate Professor Mitch Byrne, from UOW’s School of Psychology, who was also involved in the study, said: “Our preliminary results suggest that by introducing more omega-3s into prisons, we may be able to decrease aggression levels in inmates and help protect the community from violent reoffenders on release.”