Omega 3 supplements: an aid for treating symptoms of depression

By now there seems very little doubt: omega-3s are effective in treating depression.

This is confirmed by a study published in European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, which found that administering 300 mg of EPA (eicohexapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) daily for six months significantly improved the symptoms of this disorder in individuals over 65 years of age with mild to moderate forms of depression.

Omega-3 for depression: critical utility

Overall, the data collected over the years of scientific studies leave little room for detractors of this theory, increasingly highlighting theusefulness of these fatty acids against this serious mood disorder. The hypothesis that EPA and DHA are associated with depression stems from the key role these omega-3s play in brain tissue. Indeed, psychiatric problems-including depression-appear when nerve cells are no longer able to effectively transmit signals carried by so-called neurotransmitters. And Omega-3s ensure that this process takes place properly. In fact, according to reports from the DHA/EPA Omega-3 Institute at the University of Guelph (Canada), DHA is such a key component of the membranes of neurons that if it is present in too low a concentration it can impair their functioning and lead, thus, to the development of symptoms of depression. EPA, on the other hand, would play a role inincreased blood flow, hormone regulation and the immune system, important factors in brain functioning. On the other hand, both DHA and EPA are essential for creating new nerve structures and modifying existing ones, in a process that makes the brain an adaptive structure. The absence of such plasticity is, according to experts, one of the factors behind the development of depression.

A hypothesis supported by scientific data

As early as 2007, it was found that data from research over more than a decade supported this hypothesis. At the same time, Parris Kidd of the University of California, Berkeley (United States) showed that taking 800 mg of DHA and 1,600 mg of EPA leads to a significant decrease in depression symptoms. A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorder also stands in support of this hypothesis, showing that regular long-term intake of Omega-3-rich cod oil reduces symptoms of depression by 29 percent. And theeffectiveness of Omega-3s would be no less than that of drugs long used in the treatment of this disorder. In fact, research published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry has shown that 1 gram a day of EPA is sufficient to reduce depression by 50 percent, an effect similar to that achieved by taking fluoxetine. Combining, then, this drug with Omega-3 reduced depression rates by 81 percent.

Source 

1. Tajalizadekhoob Y, Sharifi F, Fakhrzadeh H, Mirarefin M, Ghaderpanahi M, Badamchizade Z, Azimipour S, "The effect of low-dose omega 3 fatty acids on the treatment of mild to moderate depression in the elderly: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study," Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2011 Feb 12. [Epub ahead of print]. 

2. Kidd PM, "Omega-3 DHA and EPA for cognition, behavior, and mood: clinical findings and structural-functional synergies with cell membrane phospholipids," Altern Med Rev. 2007 Sep;12(3):207-27 

3. Raeder MB, Steen VM, Vollset SE, Bjelland I., "Associations between cod liver oil use and symptoms of depression: the Hordaland Health Study," J Affect Disord. 2007 Aug;101(1-3):245-9 

4. Jazayeri S, Tehrani-Doost M, Keshavarz SA, Hosseini M, Djazayery A, Amini H, Jalali M, Peet M, "Comparison of therapeutic effects of omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid and fluoxetine, separately and in combination, in major depressive disorder," Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2008 Mar;42(3):192-8