Flaxseed & Fish Oil & Depression

Depression is characterized by long-lasting sadness, anger or feeling of loss that causes a significant disruption of your life. The causes of depression can be numerous and complex, and many cases can be difficult to treat using only medication. Lifestyle changes, including healthier diet and exercise, may further reduce disruption to your lifestyle. Omega-3 fatty acids are important in normal brain signaling and show emerging promise in reducing risk and treating depression.

Treating Depression

The primary goal of treating depressive disorders is managing any disruption to your life. The underlying causes of depression are not yet known, but likely include a combination of imbalanced signaling, behavioral patterns and stressful environment. Many cases are treated with medication to correct imbalances in neurotransmitter systems such as serotonin. Medication may show synergy with therapy to deal with traumatic events and improve behavioral patterns as well as lifestyle changes to improve your environment and eliminate bad habits.

Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Each of the cells in your body is surrounded by a cell membrane composed of phospholipids. Omega-3 fatty acids are used to produce phospholipids that are important in regulating signaling in the nervous system by regulating placement and trafficking of neurotransmitter receptors and other proteins. Phospholipids made from polyunsaturated fatty acids are also used to produce biological signals involved in the (Reference 1,2)

Potential Benefits

Taken alone, omega-3 fatty acids from fish or flaxseed oil do not appear to be significant factors in treating depression. A 10-year longitudinal study found only a small correlation between omega-3 fatty acid intake and reduced risk of depression. A 2010 review published in "Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics" found some correlation between omega-3 intake and the improvement in depression symptoms. Though results are not definitive, they merit further investigation. An alternative hypothesis is that increasing omega-3 fatty acids intake and avoiding omega-6 intake in excess are needed for significant reduction in depression risk.

Safe Supplementation

Omega-3 supplements do not replace any medication or therapy currently prescribed by your health-care provider. Do not take other medication with omega-3 supplements, as they may be poorly absorbed. You may decrease your ability to clot blood or drop your blood sugar too low if you take omega-3 supplements while also taking blood thinners or diabetic medication. Preliminary research suggests that flaxseed oil may slightly increase the risk of prostate cancer or macular degeneration in those already at risk.

Fish or Flaxseed Oil

Though both fish oil and flaxseed oil are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, they contain different omega-3 fatty acids with different biological effects. Most studies investigating the effectiveness of omega-3 supplements used fish oil. Fish oil contains long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA, docosahexaenoic acid. Flaxseed oil contains the short-chain omega-3 fatty acid ALA, alpha-linoleic acid. Your body possesses a limited ability to convert ALA to EPA and DHA, although the ability is lesser in men than women and decreases with age.