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Fish Oil Offers Hope For
Sufferers of Bipolar Disorder
Fish Oil May Work Better Than Drugs
Bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness involving repeat episodes of manic-depression, wild mood swings, hyperactivity and in many cases excessive cheerfulness. As with so many other mental illnesses the prescribed remedy usually includes large amounts of drugs namely lithum carbonate or valproate to name just a few. While drugs offer some relief for those suffering with bipolar disorder they are not always effective and recurrence rates are very high notwithstanding regular medication.
Many in the medical community believe that bipolar disorder in part is caused by an overactivity in the neuronal pathways of the brain. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to dampen this overactivity. Based on this theory the hypothesis has been advanced that omega-3 fatty acides (EPA and DHA) may be useful in treating bipolar disorder. Medical scientists have recently confirmed the validity of this theory in a study just completed at the Harvard Medical School.
The double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted at Harvard Medical School included 30 patients (both men and women) who all having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Half the study participants were administered seven fish oil capsules twice a day while the placebo group were given seven olive oil capsules twice a day. Each fish oil capsule contained 440 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 240 mg of docosahexaenoic acid. All of the participants except four in the fish oil group and four in the placebo group also continued to receive a standard mood-stabilizing drug prescribed previously. The mental state of the participants was measured using four scales (Clinical Global Impression Scale, Global Assessment Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) at the start of the study and after two, four, six, eight, twelve and sixteen weeks. Twelve of the 14 participants in the fish oil group were able to complete the 4 month trail without experiencing any major episodes of mania or depression as compared to only six out of 16 participants in the placebo group. An important observation was that while nine of the placebo group members experienced worsening depression none of the fish oil group members did. The four patients who had not been prescribed mood-stabilizing drugs but had been taking the fish oil completed the study without major episodes, but only one member in the placebo group not on mood-stabilizing drugs did.
The average decline in depression rating on the Hamilton Scale was almost 50 per cent in the fish oil group as compared to an increase of 25 per cent in the control group. The Harvard researchers urge further trials of fish oils in the treatment of depression and manic-depressive illness.
A number of references in this text were taken from the following sources:
Stoll, Andrew L., et al. Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 56, May 1999, pp. 407-12 and pp. 415-16 (commentary)
Calabrese, Joseph R., et al. Fish oils and bipolar disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 56, May 1999, pp. 413-14 (commentary)
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"Since I started supplementing with high-dose fish oil nearly 8 months ago my skin has not been nearly so dry, my allergies have almost entirely gone away and my general health appears to be improving."
"After one month of taking fish oil, my husband starting noticing positive changes in the texture of his hair, and his blood sugar levels were dramatically stabilizing, as he is a type 1 diabetic (for the past 27 years)."
"I've never been much of a believer in supplements. However, after repeated invitations from my wife I started taking Omega 3 Fish Oil. Consequently, my cholesteral levels have improved and I've never felt so healthy."