Depression: Omega-3 and mood, a profound link

Mental health has a molecular code that has been deciphered over the years. In this code, Omega-3s play a key role.

Decades of scientific research have shed light on the role of these fatty acids in the prevention and management of depressive symptoms. And this discovery has revolutionized the approach to mental health.

Early studies: omega-3 and mood

The story of this discovery begins in the 1990s, when a series of research highlighted an interesting pattern: people with depression tended to have lower levels of Omega-3. This could not have been a mere coincidence: a study conducted at Rockhampton Hospital (Australia), published in the journal Lipids, showed that the lower the Omega-3 reserves, the more acute the depressive symptoms.

But it is not only a question of quantity; it is also a question of balance. In fact, the ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 plays a crucial role. Research published in Biological Psychiatry in 1998 showed that an imbalance in favor of Omega-6 is in fact associated with more severe forms of depression.

And with advancing age, this link becomes even more apparent. Recent studies have revealed that, in old age, an unbalanced balance of fatty acids in the blood is linked to mood disorders and depressive states.

Back in 1998 The Journal of Nutrition published the results obtained from research at the Laboratoire de Biophysique Medicale et Pharmaceutique in Tours: the French researchers observed that Omega-3s in fish oil promoted the activity of dopamine, the molecule that regulates mood. It was as if they had discovered the molecular switch of good mood.

In the same year, across the Channel, scientists at the University of Sheffield confirmed this insight: a diet rich in Omega-3s is associated with a lower tendency to develop depressive symptoms. 

Omega-3 and the antidepressant action

But the first to demonstrate the real effectiveness of Omega-3s in improving emotional balance were researchers at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Here, Dr. Andrew Stoll and his team defied convention in the treatment of manic-depressive syndrome (or bipolar disorder), a disorder in which severe bouts of depression alternate with periods of intense euphoria. The drug that was being used to treat the syndrome was lithium, a remedy that caused toxic and serious side effects, however. Andrew Stoll was therefore looking for a less harmful alternative, and his attention turned to the Omega-3 EPA and DHA contained in fish oil.

His approach? One group of patients took a daily dose of 9 g of EPA and DHA, in the ratio of 1 to 1.5; the control group took olive oil, which does not contain Omega-3, instead.

After only 4 months of treatment, the study was stopped: patients treated with fish oil showed such significant improvements that continuing to give olive oil to the control group became ethically unacceptable.

This discovery kicked off a cascade of research. In Israel, at Ben Gurion University, pure EPA has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms by 50% in more than half of patients in as little as 3 weeks-even in subjects resistant to traditional antidepressants.

A short time later, scientists at Swallownest Court Hospital in the United Kingdom published the results of their study in the Archives of General Psychiatry highlighting all the depressive symptoms that Omega-3s can alleviate:

• sadness;
• Lack of energy;
• anxious states;
• insomnia;
• Decreased libido;
• Suicidal tendency.

But the effectiveness of Omega-3s goes beyond the boundaries of clinical depression, extending to a more intimate and personal sphere: emotional relationships. In fact, these essential fatty acids may help women who suffer from mood swings and uncontrollable emotions and, because of this, have complicated family relationships. At McLean Hospital in Belmont, US, a group of researchers observed that a treatment of only 8 weeks with EPA-rich Omega-3 supplements can improve and stabilize mood and reduce the tendency to aggressive reactions.

Omega-3s in the treatment of postpartum depression

Other research, however, has focused on the benefits of Omega-3s in treating depressive states that may accompany or follow pregnancy.

During gestation, the maternal body performs an important act of love: it transfers DHA to the baby to support the development of the unborn child's nervous system. However, this generous gesture lowers maternal Omega-3 stores and exposes the baby to the risk of developing depressive symptoms.

Building on these assumptions, researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Rockville have shown that low DHA levels and poor fish consumption may increase the risk of postpartum depression. Dutch scientists at the University Medical Center Rotterdam also confirmed this: new mothers struggling with depression show a DHA deficiency.

But the research results are even more surprising, because they reveal that the antidepressant role played by Omega-3s affects not only mothers, but also children: in fact, a team of Brazilian researchers from the Universidade Federal do Paraná has shown that regular consumption of fish and fish oil during pregnancy and breastfeeding creates a kind of natural shield that protects the child from the risk of developing future symptoms of depression, as a reserve of EPA and DHA is built up in the cortex and hippocampus of the fetus.

Omega-3, all the benefits

From simple mood alterations to postpartum depressive states, from stress-induced aggressive behaviors to neurological damage caused by alcohol, from schizophrenia to dementia.

The body of data collected over years and years of study and research shows us that yes, Omega-3 fatty acids can indeed be effective in preventing, controlling, and treating various disorders affecting the mental sphere. This is the superpower of Omega-3s: to touch, to improve, every aspect of your health, mental and physical.

However, we would like to emphasize that these essential fatty acids should be considered as a potential supplement to traditional therapy, not as a substitute. Depression is a medical condition that requires professional management, so always consult your physician before making any changes to your treatment regimen or before starting any new treatment, including Omega-3 supplementation.