Fish Oil Offers Treatment
for Depression
Fish Oil: A Cure for Depression?
There is now strong evidence to support the theory the that fish oil can effectively help to fight depression and other mental disorders. What researchers still do not know is which of the omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] or docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) are most responsible for the effect.
The stand therapy for combating depression involves the use of antidepressants or serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, many of the drugs used to treat depression are not effective. Prozac, one of the most common antidepressants is effective in only about 40% of patients (not much better than a placebo).
A group of British and Scottish researchers recently finished a study aimed at deciding if the ethyl ester of EPA, ethyl-eicosapentaenoate (EEP), would be effective in strengthening the beneficial effect of standard antidepressants. The study involved 60 patients who were already being treated with SSRIs or tricyclic antidepressants. Fourteen patients received a placebo while the remaining 46 received either 1, 2 or 4 grams/day of EEP. All participants were evaluated for depression using several different scales at the beginning of the experiment and after 12 weeks. At the end of the study it was clear that the 1gram/day dosage of EEP was highly effective in reducing depression and associated conditions such as sadness, pessimism, inability to work, sleep disturbances, and diminished sex drive. In most cases, 60- 70% of patients receiving 1 gram/day of EEP showed an improvement of 50% or better. This compares to only 25% of the patients on the placebo showing a 50% improvement. The degree of improvement was substantially less in the 2 grams/day and 4 grams/day groups. The researchers speculate that this could be due to the depletion of the omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid, by an excess of omega-3 fatty acid (EPA), indicating that the balance between omega-3 and omega-6 is important when it comes to depression.
Fish Oil Helps Fight Mental Disorders
The incidence of depression is growing with people born within the last 50 years being twice as likely to suffer from it than were their parents. Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the National Institutes of Health believes that the reason for the increase in depression can be directly attributed to a major shift in dietary patterns, specifically fat intake. He points out that the vast increase in the use of soy, corn, palm and cottonseed oils in the last 100 years has totally changed the traditional ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. Soy oil consumption in the US, for example, has increased thousand-fold in the last 100 years helping to skew the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio from about 1:1 to today's 16:1. This, Dr. Hibbeln believes, spells trouble. The brain consists pretty well entirely of fat so clearly one's fat intake could affect one's brain composition, particularly the ion channels which channel signals in and out of the brain. There is also evidence that low levels of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with low levels of the mood hormone serotonin. Dr. Hibbeln's hypothesis is supported by the fact that the incidence of depression is considerably lower in countries with a high fish consumption.
Fish, particularly fatty ocean fish, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and its frequent consumption would help to nudge the ratio back towards the optimum 1:1. At least three clinical trials have observed a marked improvement in depressed patients given relatively high doses of fish oils. This has spurred other scientists to look closer at the potential benefits of fish oil supplementation. At the moment there are at least 10 clinical trials underway evaluating fish oils in the treatment of depression, attention deficit disorder, and schizophrenia.
Many research believe that supplementation with 1-3 grams of a high quality fish oil a day is entirely safe and may not only improve your mood, but help protect you from heart disease, stroke, arthritis and depression as well.
Are you thinking about purchasing Fish Oil? Check out our Guide for buying Fish Oils before you do!
A number of references in this text were taken from the following sources:
Peet, M. and Horrobin, DF. A dose-ranging study of the effects of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate in patients with ongoing depression despite apparently adequate treatment with standard drugs. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 59, October 2002, pp. 913-19
Small, Meredith F. The happy fat. New Scientist, August 24, 2002, pp. 34-37
** The information and the claims made on this website are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Please view our full Terms of Use Agreement for more information and the terms and conditions governing your use of this site.
"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."
"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)."