Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation as a treatment for bipolar disorder is not officially sanctioned; however, it is widely viewed as a reasonable consideration when investigating alternative treatment options. In addition, there are studies suggesting that omega-3 supplementation is an effective adjunct treatment to conventional therapies. The dosages studied range from one 1 g per day for 12 weeks to almost 9,600 mg for 16 weeks.
Dose for Mild Symptoms
One of the first clinical trials to investigate the possibility of omega-3 fatty acids having a beneficial effect on bipolar disorder was published in the May 1999 issue of "Archives of General Psychiatry." Researchers enrolled 30 patients with mild bipolar symptoms and treated them with 9,600 mg of omega-3 fatty acid per day for four months. The control group took a placebo made of olive oil. At the end of the study, the omega-3 group experienced longer periods of bipolar remission than the placebo group.
More Beneficial in Depressive Phase
Bipolar disorder is distinguished by periods of alternating depressive and manic emotional states. Researchers reporting in the December 2005 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry" treated bipolar patients with 4 g of omega-3s per day for three months. At the end of the study, the researchers reported moderate improvement in the measurement of patients' symptoms during the depressive phase. However, there were no significant improvements noted during the manic phase. The researchers hypothesized a higher dose of omega-3 may have produced a more dramatic improvement.
The EPA of Omega-3 for Bipolar Disorder
Omega-3 fatty acid is comprised of two primary fat acids, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid -- DHA and EPA, respectively. Researchers reporting in the March 2002 issue of the "American Journal of Psychiatry" investigated specifically EPA as an adjunct treatment for depressive episodes in patients with severe forms of the disorder. Twenty patients were enrolled in a four week, double-blind study of either placebo or EPA. The dosage was 1 g consumed twice a day. The authors state that highly significant benefits were apparent in the omega-3 group by week three of the treatment.
EPA Validation
Researchers reporting in the February 2006 issue of "The British Journal of Psychiatry" concluded that EPA is an effective and well-tolerated adjunctive treatment in bipolar depression. The researchers performed a 12-week double-blind study on individuals who received either a placebo, 1 g EPA, or 2 g of EPA per day. According to the researchers, there were significant improvements in the EPA group compared with placebo and there were no apparent benefits of taking 2 g versus 1 g per day.
References
- "Archives of General Psychiatry"; Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder; Andrew Stoll et al.; May 1999
- "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry"; Omega-3 Fatty Acids Are More Beneficial in the Depressive Phase; Chih-Chiang Chiu et al.; December 2005
- "American Journal of Psychiatry" Addition of Omega-3 Fatty Acid to Maintenance Medication; Boris Nemets; March 2002
- "The British Journal of Psychiatry"; Efficacy of Ethyl-eicosapentaenoic Acid in Bipolar Depression; Sophia Frangou et al.; February 2006
Member Comments