Omega-3 Fish oil medical studies
Source of information:
Lipids in Health and Disease 2004, 3:25doi:10.1186/1476-511X-3-25
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Omega-3, fish oil, mental illness
Depressed patients appear to have lower levels of omega-3 in their bodies. Flaxseed oil at various dosages, was reported to improve the symptoms of bipolar depression and agoraphobia. An additional case report documented an improvement in depressive symptoms during pregnancy.
A patient with treatment resistant depression was placed on a daily dose of 4 g pure EPA, and after one month there were significant improvements, including a co-morbid social phobia. After nine months the patient was reportedly symptom free. It was found that over the course of the nine months of treatment, there was a 53 percent increase in cerebral phosphomonoesters and the ratio of cerebral phosphomonoesters to phosphodiesters increased 79 percent, indicating reduced neuronal phospholipid turnover.
A series of case reports also suggest that 1 – 4 g of pure EPA may be helpful in anorexia nervosa, a condition with the highest risk of morbidity and mortality among psychiatric disorders [47]. In all six of the cases, EPA was reported to improve mood to varying degrees. For some, discontinuing EPA therapy resulted in deteriorations in mood and other psychiatric symptoms.
There have been some controlled studies that have examined omega3 fatty acids and a placebo intervention in depression. The first small clinical study (n = 30) showed that four months of treatment with 9.6 g of omega-3 fatty acids (6.2 g EPA/3.4 g DHA) was of therapeutic value in bipolar disorder. Specifically, this study showed a highly significant effect in treating depression .
In a small pilot study (n = 30), Harvard researchers found that just 1 g of EPA could reduce aggression (modified Overt Aggression Scale) and depressive symptom scores (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) among borderline personality disorder patients.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial over two months, high dose fish oil was added to standard antidepressant therapy in 28 patients with major depressive disorder. In this study the patients who received the omega-3 fish oil capsules had a significant improvements.
Omega 3 Studies Summary
While far from robust, there is enough epidemiological, laboratory and clinical evidence to suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may play a role in certain cases of depression. Fish oil supplements are well tolerated, and have been shown to be without significant side effects over large scale, multi-year research. Generally, omega-3 supplements are inexpensive, which makes them an attractive option as an adjuvant to standard care.