Anxiety and omega-3s
A daily dose of 2.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids reduces anxiety symptoms by 20 percent. This is shown in a study by Janice Kiecolt-Glaser and colleagues at Ohio State University, published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
Data collected during this research confirmed the potential of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicohexapentaenoic acid (EPA) in combating this disorder.
Not only that, the results also highlighted the anti-inflammatory effects of Omega-3 intake.
Anxiety and inflammation, here's the dual action of omega-3s
This new research involved 68 medical school students.
The analysis involved assessing the levels of molecules that trigger inflammation (cytokines) and symptoms of anxiety and depression both in the periods leading up to college exams, which are characterized by high psychological tension, and in periods of low stress.
Study participants were divided into 2 groups:
- a portion of them were given capsules containing a placebo, corresponding to the same proportion of fatty acids that characterizes the typical diet of a U.S. resident;
- The second group, on the other hand, received 2.085 grams of EPA and 348 milligrams of DHA daily for a period of 12 weeks.
Blood tests conducted by the researchers found that Omega-3 intake causes a 14 percent reduction in the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine induced by proinflammatory stimuli. In addition, Omega-3 fatty acids also reduced anxiety symptoms by 20 percent.
The validity of these results was confirmed by a series of secondary analyses. In fact, the researchers also determined the relationship between plasma concentrations of Omega-6, fatty acids that generally promote inflammatory phenomena, and those of Omega-3.
It was found that a decrease in this ratio, and thus, an increase in Omega-3s compared to Omega-6s, is associated with lower levels of anxiety.
This reduction is also matched by inhibition of IL-6 and TNF-α (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, another marker of inflammation) production.
The link between anxiety and inflammation
The study by Kiecolt-Glaser and colleagues definitively confirms the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for the brain. In fact, numerous data collected in the past had already highlighted the potential role of these molecules in regulating mood and behavior.
In particular, low Omega-3 levels have been associated with inflammation and depression.
The 2 phenomena, the research authors explain, could be related to each other.
In fact, cytokines, molecules involved in the development of inflammatory processes, induce the synthesis of a hormone that acts on brain regions responsible for fear and anxiety. However, only today does this study provide definitive data, obtained through controlled clinical trials.
Fatty acids to prevent and to cure
According to the researchers, these findings suggest thattaking EPA and DHA could reduce anxiety and inflammation even in healthy young adults.
And, for the first time, they offer clues supporting the potential benefits of using Omega-3s to counteract anxiety-related disorders in individuals in whom problems of this nature have not yet been diagnosed.