Experts at the National Institutes of Health note that fish oil provides numerous health benefits. Fish oil lowers triglycerides, slows the build up of plaques in our veins and arteries, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of heart attack, death, abnormal heart rhythms and strokes. In addition, there is growing evidence that fish oil may improve depression, including depressed moods that occur with bipolar disorder and postpartum depression.
How it Works
The main active ingredients in fish oil are the Omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). McManWeb describes several studies that indicate that EPA more so than DHA may improve symptoms of depression. For example, an Israeli study of patients with major depression found improvement in depression symptoms within three weeks of taking supplemental EPA, whereas a study of the effect of DHA failed to yield improvements in depression symptoms. The precise mechanisms of how Omega-3 fatty acids may improve depression are still under study, but some experts, such as Harvard researcher Andrew Stoll, note that cell membranes are comprised of Omega-3 oils. Omega-3 fatty acids may make it easier for neurotransmitters like serotonin--a brain chemical that regulates mood---to pass through the cell membranes. Dr. Barry Sears of CBN.com suggests several possible mechanisms. First, animal studies indicate that EPA consumption increases serotonin levels in the frontal cortex of the brain, an area that is involved in cognition and mood regulation. Also, increasing EPA enhances the balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids in blood lipids and in the cerebrospinal fluid that inundates the brain. An excess of Omega-6 relative to Omega-3 fatty acids is implicated in depression. Finally, fish oil improves blood flow and likely enhances the movement of nutrients like oxygen and glucose to the brain.
Bipolar Depression
Several studies, described at McManWeb, indicate that fish oil improves depression symptoms. For example, a 1998 study in the "Journal of Affective Disorders" showed that depressed patients had lower levels of Omega-3s. Harvard researcher Andrew Stoll studied 30 patients with bipolar disorder, an illness in which people have alternating episodes of mania and depression. After four months of treatment, 64 percent of the patients who were given 10 g daily supplement of fish oil reported fewer episodes of depression.
Diet and Depression
Cultures that have greater consumption of Omega-3 oil also have lower rates of depression. For example, Psychiatry.JWatch and Health.com note that countries like Japan where they eat 147 lbs. of fish per person per year have lower rates of depression than nations where there is less fish in the diet. New Zealanders eat less fish per capita than any industrialized nation and have rates of depression that are 50 times greater than that of the Japanese. Eskimos on the other hand eat 7 to 10 g per day of Omega-3 fatty acids and are rarely depressed despite extraordinarily harsh living conditions.
Postpartum Depression
Fish oil may protect against postpartum depression. Omega-3 deficiencies are commonly reported for pregnant women, who can become depleted because they pass their Omega-3 fatty acids to their fetus. Evidence, such as described at Health.com, suggests that women with postpartum depression tend to have Omega-3 deficiencies. Notably, postpartum depression occurs at a higher rate in countries where people consume less seafood.
Diet and Fish Oil Supplementation
Western diets tend to provide 10 to 20 times more Omega-6 than Omega-3 fatty acids, an imbalance that may enhance vulnerability to depression. In Western diets, people tend to get their fatty acids from vegetable oils, corn oil, baked goods, cereals, poultry, eggs and bread, and not from fish. Everyone can enhance their fatty acid balance by eating nuts, seeds and cold water fish like bluefish, catfish, cod, halibut, herring, mackerel, salmon, tuna and whitefish. Unless a person eats a lot of fish, say two to four servings per week, it is difficult to obtain a proper balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6. Fish oil supplements have many benefits and few side effects. It is recommended to take 1.5 to 3.5 g of fish oil supplements per day. Fish oil supplements should be taken with food and with Vitamins C and E to enhance metabolism of the fatty acid.
Cautions
Fish oil supplements can potentially interact with blood thinners and blood pressure medications. Individuals interested in taking fish oil supplements should consult with their doctor before they start taking new dietary supplements. Dietary supplements should be viewed as complementary treatments and not as replacements for therapy and medication.
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