Postpartum Depression: Women Who Consume Too Little Omega-3 and Too Much Omega-6 Are at Risk

Postpartum depression: low Omega-3 intake increases the risk!

Deficiency of omega-3 and a high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in the blood are two conditions associated with postpartum and prenatal depression—mental disorders affecting women during pregnancy and after childbirth. EPA and DHA could therefore represent an effective and safe treatment to combat perinatal depressive syndrome, thanks to their ability to regulate neuronal inflammation and brain plasticity.

This is reported in a meta-analysis study published in Biological Psychiatry and conducted by a team of researchers from several research centers in Taiwan and Singapore.

Perinatal depression: a very common disorder

During the perinatal period, which extends from pregnancy up to the baby’s first year of life, many women experience mental disorders that can significantly impact the lives of both mother and newborn. In Italy, about 90,000 women suffer from perinatal depression annually. The disease can arise from a combination of factors: social, hormonal, physical, psychological, and cognitive. Anxiety during pregnancy is often associated with negative effects on the newborn’s development and with the possibility of postpartum depression; about 40% of women depressed during pregnancy will continue to experience symptoms after childbirth. After birth, up to 70-80% of new mothers experience mild, transient symptoms of sadness and depression in the first days, known as “baby blues.”

This is a very common reaction that usually disappears quickly. However, 10-15% of new mothers develop much more severe depressive symptoms (postpartum depression) lasting from 3 to 9 months after delivery. Past research has demonstrated the importance of proper nutrition and adequate intake of certain nutrients, such as vitamins and omega-3, for women’s health. Among the benefits of polyunsaturated fatty acids is their positive effect on pregnancy outcome and maternal health after childbirth. Several studies have suggested a correlation between omega-3 deficiency and increased risk of postpartum depression and documented DHA’s protective effect against perinatal depression due to its anti-inflammatory and neuroplasticity effects. Although many studies have shown a high frequency of omega-3 deficiency in women with perinatal depression, results have often been inconsistent.

Omega-3 deficiency and excess omega-6 are associated with depression risk

The new research results demonstrated that women affected by prenatal and postpartum depression had significantly lower total omega-3 levels compared to women without depressive disorders. In particular, subgroup analysis showed that women with prenatal depression had markedly lower EPA and DHA levels. Similarly, researchers found an association between depression and a higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 concentrations. According to the scientists who conducted the study, these findings collectively highlight the importance of polyunsaturated fatty acids in clinical depression.

The brain is rich in omega-3 and their derivatives, which regulate various biological processes such as neurotransmission, neuroplasticity, and neuronal inflammation, thus affecting mood and cognitive function. This suggests their role in treating perinatal depression. The meta-analysis also confirms that this mental disorder is associated with an excessively high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, reflecting an unbalanced dietary intake favoring the former. Anthropological and epidemiological studies indicate that humans evolved on a diet with a roughly 1:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, whereas modern Western diets show ratios of 10-20:1, indicating a severe fatty acid imbalance caused by excessive consumption of animal fats and low fish intake.

Some research details

The meta-analysis, a study type that examines combined data from multiple research works, included 12 studies available as of December 2016. The research aimed to compare polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations, including EPA, DHA, and arachidonic acid (AA); total omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids; and their ratios in women with perinatal depression and healthy control subjects. Additionally, analyses were performed on various subgroups of subjects, comparing polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in women with prenatal and postnatal depression to healthy controls.

The role of the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio requires further study

According to the study authors, the observed results reinforce the important role of omega-3 in both postpartum and prenatal depression. Nutritional medicine is an important strategy to improve treatment efficacy for depression, and the data obtained provide strong motivation to conduct clinical trials on the therapeutic and preventive effects of omega-3 on the health of expectant mothers. In particular, although the positive effects of EPA and DHA in treating depression have long been recognized, the importance of an imbalance in omega-3 versus omega-6 intake on women’s mental health during and after pregnancy should be further examined.

Source: Pao-Yen Lin et al., “Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Perinatal Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” Biological Psychiatry.