Omega 3 supplements: help for treating depression symptoms

There is now very little doubt: Omega 3s are effective in treating depression.

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

Omega-3 for depression: essential usefulness

Overall, data collected over years of scientific studies leave little room for skeptics of this theory, increasingly highlighting the usefulness of these fatty acids against this serious mood disorder. The hypothesis that EPA and DHA are associated with depression derives from the fundamental role these Omega-3s play in brain tissue. Psychiatric problems – including depression – arise when nerve cells can no longer effectively transmit signals carried by neurotransmitters. Omega-3s ensure this process happens correctly. According to the DHA/EPA Omega-3 Institute at the University of Guelph (Canada), DHA is a fundamental component of neuron membranes, so if it is present at too low concentrations it can impair their function and thus lead to the development of depressive symptoms. EPA, on the other hand, plays a role in increasing blood flow, hormonal regulation, and the immune system – important factors in brain function. Moreover, both DHA and EPA are essential for creating new nerve structures and modifying existing ones, in a process that makes the brain adaptable. Lack of this plasticity is, according to experts, one of the factors underlying depression.

A hypothesis supported by scientific data

As early as 2007, data from research conducted over more than ten years supported this hypothesis. At the same time, Parris Kidd of the University of California, Berkeley (USA) demonstrated that taking 800 mg of DHA and 1,600 mg of EPA leads to a significant reduction in depression symptoms. A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders also supports this hypothesis, showing that long-term regular intake of cod liver oil rich in Omega-3 reduces depression symptoms by 29%. The effectiveness of Omega-3 would not be inferior to that of drugs long used to treat this disorder. Indeed, research published by the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry showed that 1 gram per day of EPA is sufficient to reduce depression by 50%, an effect similar to that obtained with fluoxetine. Combining this drug with Omega-3s reduced depression rates by 81%.

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