The brain needs certain nutrients to prevent psychiatric conditions, including bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is characterized by manic episodes, usually accompanied by episodic shifts to depression. Mania involves an abnormal elevation in mood. The addition of omega-3 fatty acids to the diet can help ease the symptoms of bipolar disorder. However, the advice of a medical professional should be consulted before trying to prevent, treat or cure bipolar disorder.
Outcomes
There is scientific evidence supporting the use of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of bipolar disorder. A meta-analysis, or analysis of multiple study findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in July 2007 found that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids helped to improve depression associated with bipolar disorder.
Cause
Bipolar disorder is characterized by impairments of the central nervous system. The central nervous system, which consists of the brain and the spinal cord, depends heavily on omega-3 fatty acids for healthy functioning. The cell membrane, which serves as the protective border for brain cells, contains high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids.
While bipolar disorder is a genetic condition, genes do not sufficiently explain the disorder, according to CSA Life Sciences editor Jennifer Phillips in a June 2005 article. If so, identical twins would have a concordance rate, or chance of both twins having the disorder, of 100 percent. Instead, the concordance rate is between 28 percent to 96 percent, cites Phillips. Environmental factors like stress and nutrition play a role as well. Researchers suspect that these environmental factors influence how genes are expressed, explains Phillips.
Need
Omega-3 fatty acids cannot be created by the body, so the dietary intake of these fats is essential. The brain must also get its supply of omega-3 fatty acids from the diet, according to Dr. Frank Sacks at the Harvard University School of Public Health. People with bipolar depression tend to have lower levels of DHA, the most abundant omega-3 in the brain, in their red blood cells indicating a deficiency, according to the findings of a study published in October 2010 in the Journal of Affective Disorders. This contributes to the breakdown of peroxisome function. Peroxisomes are structures found in living cells that are responsible for the mylenation of nerve cells. Mylenation is the process of creating a protective, insulating covering around a nerve cell to protect it and help speed up signal transmission. When this process goes awry, bipolar disorder is a possible outcome, according to the study.
Process
When omega-3s are lacking in the diet, this leads to a reduction in the fatty acid concentration inside of nervous system cells. When this happens, the mircostructure of the cell membrane is physically changed. This leads to a dysfunction in signal communication throughout the brain and manifests as disorders like bipolar disorder. It is this process that researchers suspect leads to an increased risk for depression in general and the depressive symptoms related to bipolar disorder, according to the July 2007 article in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Source
Among the sources of omega-3 fatty acids that include flaxseed and broccoli, seafood is one that has been found to be a beneficial addition to the diet. Particularly, published studies have found that eating seafood over the course of a lifetime is related to a reduced risk for bipolar disorder, as well as other psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia, according to an article published in June 2006 in the the American Journal of Psychiatry.
References
- "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry": A Meta-Analytic Review of Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials of Antidepressant Efficacy of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- "Journal of Affective Disorders": Selective Deficits in Erythrocyte Docosahexaenoic Acid Composition in Adult Patients with Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder
- "The American Journal of Psychiatry": Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Mood Disorders
- "The Nutrition Source": Ask the Expert: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- CSA: Tracking down the Footprints of Bipolar Disorder
