Fish oil may provide benefits for the depressive phases of bipolar disorder. Bipolar patients suffer from extreme mood swings, going from periods of deep depression to episodes of being overjoyed and overexcited. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, requires treatment that includes therapy to discuss the patient's problems and medication that helps stabilize moods. Dietary and supplemental sources may help during treatment, but only with the approval and supervision of mental health professionals.
Bipolar Symptoms
Symptoms of bipolar disorder may appear gradually and are often viewed as separate problems, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Sometimes it can take years before someone is properly diagnosed. The depression phase of the condition causes the person to become extremely sad or hopeless. Feeling overly concerned or worried about everyday matters, fatigue, difficulty making decisions, sleeping or eating problems and even thoughts or acts of suicide may occur. The manic phase causes bipolar patients to feel overly enthusiastic and aim for unrealistic goals. They may jump from one subject to another or talk very fast. Bipolar patients may act impulsively when it comes to financial matters or sexual activities.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which concentrate in the brain and may improve memory and mental performance, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes. Studies on the effect of fish oil on mental illness have had mixed results and research continues. A study of 30 bipolar patients by researchers at Harvard Medical School found that omega-3 fatty acids provide short-term improvement for the condition. Subjects who took omega-3s along with traditional treatment had longer periods of stabilized moods than people in a control group, the researchers reported in the "Archives of General Psychiatry."
Depressive Phase
The effects of fish oil may work to improve the depressive phase of the illness, but not work as well for the manic period, according to MedlinePlus. Researchers at China Medical College Hospital studied 28 patients with major depression during an eight-week period. They found subjects given omega-3s in addition to their normal treatment had dramatically lower depression assessment rates than people who were given placebo.
Fish and Supplements
Oily fish containing omega-3s include mackerel, herring, tuna, salmon, sardines, halibut and trout. Fish oil and omega-3 supplements are often made from fish with high amounts of the fatty acids. Eating fish also provides you with other nutrients. Supplements work for people who cannot or do not eat enough fish. Many fish oil supplements also contain vitamins and minerals.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health: Bipolar Disorder
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; June 2009
- Archives of General Psychiatry; Omega 3 Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder; May 1999
- MedlinePlus; Fish Oil; November 2010
- European Neuropsychopharmacol; Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Major Depressive Disorder; August 2003
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