Then again maybe not, it all depends

We have written a number of articles about Omega 3 and depression. There is a body of evidence which suggests that people suffering from depression may well benefit from increasing the amount of Omega 3 in their diet. The evidence is suggesting that this includes other forms of depressive illness such as bipolar disorder.

Unfortunately as is often the case there are no clear and definite answers linking an increase in Omega 3 consumption to a reduction in symptoms of depression. Like many of these things there are a range of studies, some of which support the conclusion and some of which do not.

And of course whilst increasing the intake of Omega 3 in the diet may well help some forms of depression it may well not help others. For instance it may help depression in younger people, or older people, or women, or men. We’re not saying that it does, just demonstrating the difficulties of trying to determine exactly where increasing your Omega 3 intake may benefit you.

A new study published only recently, however, has again supported the conclusion that the increasing the amount of Omega 3 essential fatty acids in the diet can have a positive impact on people who are suffering from symptoms of depression.

However it also noted that these results, namely that increases in Omega 3 intake may help improve some depressive symptoms, were found specifically in people who had diagnosed depressive symptoms and who were prescribed antidepressant medications, and that people who were simply more prone to the likelihood of depression, because they had suffered from a heart attack, would not benefit.

As you can see it’s not as simple as trying to demonstrate that increasing your intake of Omega 3 does or does not improve symptoms of depression. It’s much more complicated than that, and unfortunately it’s very difficult to prove one way or the other.

And so our suggestion, in cases like this, is always the same. If you suffer from depression then it is always worth trying Omega 3 supplementation (after consulting your doctor) to see if it works for you. It may or may not work for you, it may or may not work for others, however this is really the only way of finding out.

And even then it’s not a complete answer, because you may well find that after taking Omega 3 supplements for while your depressive symptoms are reduced, but is this due to the Omega 3 fats, or some other factor?

That’s the way medical science advances. One step forward, 2 steps back and eventually we get there, sometimes.

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The role of Omega 3 on the mental health of soldiers is now being tested

We have previously discussed the research links between Omega 3 and depression as well as Omega 3 and brain health including the use of essential fatty acid supplementation to help improve memory function as well as brain development in infants.

There is now a growing body of evidence that the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, primarily found in seafood and in particular in the oil from oily fish, can have a profound effect on mental health and increasing the intake of the Omega3 fats may even reduce the incidence of depression in those suffering from this particular disease.

There is also clear evidence that as the essential fatty acids, and in particular DHA, make up a large percentage of the brain that having inadequate levels of the Omega3 fats in the diet as a young child or even before birth may impact on the full and proper development of brain function.

There is now an interesting development in this area. The US Army has decided to test the impact of Omega 3 fish oil supplementation on the mental health of soldiers serving in Iraq.

Of course soldiers in a war zone will be more dramatically impacted by the incidence of mental problems and mood related disorders than the average citizen because of the circumstances in which they find themselves.

So an army doctor now serving in Iraq has been approved to conduct a study to see whether increasing the levels of essential fatty acids in the diet of soldiers helps with the proper regulation of their moods.

Obviously as this is is in its early stages it is too early to provide you with results, however we shall do so when they become available. However it is interesting to see the degree to which the mainstream medical community is now accepting that slightly more alternative options such as dietary supplementation may well have a significant role in good health including in good mental health.

We shall bring you the results when we are able. And if you are interested in finding out more about the health benefits of taking fish oil capsules please read the rest of our website using the navigation on the right. Read the rest of this entry