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Thus far the diet piece of the dyslexia puzzle only addresses two issues, and only one of these has good research backing. The two issues concern widespread deficiencies of Omega-3 essential fatty acids (obtainable in fish oil and a few other sources) and also of Vitamin D3 (manufactured by the body from sunlight.) The Omega-3 issue has research support that I discuss in some detail. The Vitamin D3 issue, however, is entirely theoretical at this point, though I wonder if it might turn out to be quite important.

Taking the matter of an Omega-3 deficiency first, I’ve become convinced by much of what I’ve read that our modern-day diet is highly deficient in Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Here are just a few examples of the way Omega-3’s have been reduced in our diets and replaced by Omega-6 essential fatty acids:

1. Chickens used to wander the farm eating a lot of insects. Now they are grain-fed almost exclusively. The insect-laden diet was rich in Omega-3’s, whereas grain is source predominantly of Omega-6’s. Both the eggs and the meat of the chicken used to be good sources of Omega-3’s, but are not anymore.

2. Similarly, both beef cattle and dairy cows used to pasture much more than they now do. Beef is now fed grains in feedlots and the average dairy cow spends all day in either the barn or a feedlot. The grasses they used to eat were a source of Omega-3’s, now replaced by the Omega-6’s prevalent in grains. Again, both the meat and the milk ceased being good sources of Omega-3’s in our diets.

3. Even salmon, an excellent source of Omega-3’s (though care has to be taken to avoid heavy metal concentrations) is now often farm-raised in ponds. Their diet in the wild is filled with elements of the food chain heavy in Omega-3’s. But in the ponds? You guessed it; more grains.

4. Fruits and leafy green vegetables are less efficient sources, but still sources, of Omega-3’s but the average person’s diet today has far less of these. Instead, we fill up on chips, crackers and breads made from grain.

Summing up, if Omega-3’s are important, it’s safe to say we get far less of that particular essential fatty acid than we used to in our diets.

So, why are they called Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)? Well, because they’re essential dietary elements. This is because our bodies need these particular fatty acids for sources of other compounds that go into building our brains, our visual systems, our nervous systems, etc. These compounds can’t be broken out of other sources from our diets or generated by other chemical processes within our bodies. They have to come from a direct dietary source, hence they are essential fatty acids.

And what happens when our bodies don’t get enough Omega-3 sources? Our bodies use Omega-6’s instead, of which there is no shortage given the massive grain-based diets most of modern-day man is on.

At this point, let me say that I’m not being very rigorous here. But if you search the web for “Omega-3 essential fatty acids” you’ll find plenty of articles that will convince you that what I’ve generally described above is relatively accurate.

Now, what’s the relevance to the dyslexia puzzle? Well, it turns out that an excellent study (double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled) published in 2005 provides some interesting evidence that diet can make a difference to a dyslexic child, though not in every case.

The next page discusses that study in some depth and provides links to the complete study, as well as to specific results that you will find interesting if you have a child struggling to learn to read.

Next: Fish Oil and Dyslexia, or return to the OnTrack Reading Home Page