Omega 3 Fatty Acids & Depression

Mental and behavioral disorders affect as many as 25 percent of people at some point in their lives, according to the 2002 World Health report, with most attributed to depression. Medications that treat depression are effective but can have significant side effects. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly those found in fish oil, may decrease depressive symptoms and reduce but not place the need for medication. Study results on the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in depression have been mixed. Do not take omega-3 fatty acids to treat depression without your medical practitioner's approval.

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Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oils, include eicosapentaenoic acid, also called EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. An omega-3 fatty acid deficiency can cause mood swings and depression. People who suffer from depression often have low serum levels of these two substances. A decrease in EPA and DHA levels may affect signaling pathways that send messages to the brain. Omega-3 fatty acids also decrease inflammatory responses that play a part in depression, Dukagjin M. Blakaj, M.D. of the Montefiore Medical Center reports in the 2010 "Einstein Journal of Biology and Medicine."

Negative Study Results

Psychiatrist Lauren Marangell, M.D. of Baylor College of Medicine reported no benefit to 2 g of DHA alone therapy over placebo in a six-week period in the May 2003 "American Journal of Psychiatry." The DHA group reported 27.8 percent improvement rate compared to 23.5 percent in the placebo group, a difference not considered statistically significant.

Positive Study Results

A study reported in the August 2003 issue of "European Neuropsychopharmacology" conducted by China Medical College Hospital studied the effects of omega-3 fatty acids in addition to standard medical treatment on 28 patients with depression over a six-week period. The study found a significant decrease in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression in patients with major depression taking 4.4 g per day of EPA and 2.2 g per day of DHA over those taking placebo, Kuan-Pin Su of the Department of Psychiatry reported.

Considerations

As with prescription medications, omega-3 fatty acids appear to have the most benefit in patients with severe depressive disorders, Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D. of the Mayo Clinic reports. Supplement doses of 100 to 300 mg of either EPA alone or a combination of EPA and DHA may have benefit, he adds. Fish oil supplements or eating large fatty cold-water fish such as salmon, trout, snapper or mackerel can increase omega-3 fatty acid levels, which also have heart benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids should, however, be used as adjuncts to treatment for depression rather than a substitution for them. People with bleeding disorders or who take anticoagulant medications should not take fish oil supplements without discussing their use with medical personnel due to fish oil supplements increasing the risk of bleeding.