omega 3 fish oil and mild depression?

hi guys,

i'm not a regular supplement taker but recently i've decided to try fish oil out. i read about its benefits and how it can alleviate mild depression symptoms. has anyone of you heard about fish oil and mild depression? if you're taking it, how is it helping?

thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

thanks!

[fenris]

Originally Posted by hughchris

hi guys,

i'm not a regular supplement taker but recently i've decided to try fish oil out. i read about its benefits and how it can alleviate mild depression symptoms. has anyone of you heard about fish oil and mild depression? if you're taking it, how is it helping?

thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

thanks!

Hi and Welcome :-)

I don´t think that omega 3 is strong enough to alleviate depressions ... but in combination with basil ( omicum basilikum ) or - I mean in english it is called st. johns herb - ( hypericum perforatum ) it can help.
But don´t forget to ask your doctor....hypericum perforatum can cause allergies or paradoxical reactions and should never be used in the sunlight because it is reinforced by reactions with the skin, the possibility of severe sunburns

Originally Posted by fenris

Hi and Welcome :-)

I don´t think that omega 3 is strong enough to alleviate depressions ... but in combination with basil ( omicum basilikum ) or - I mean in english it is called st. johns herb - ( hypericum perforatum ) it can help.
But don´t forget to ask your doctor....hypericum perforatum can cause allergies or paradoxical reactions and should never be used in the sunlight because it is reinforced by reactions with the skin, the possibility of severe sunburns

is that what they also call st. john's wort? my sister who lives in new zealand recommended omega 3 fish oils. she sent some maxalife caps my way and i've doing some reading and asking around if it is effective. and yes, i should consult my doctor and i haven't gone in AGES.

thanks for the warm welcome!

[fenris]

Originally Posted by hughchris

is that what they also call st. john's wort? my sister who lives in new zealand recommended omega 3 fish oils. she sent some maxalife caps my way and i've doing some reading and asking around if it is effective. and yes, i should consult my doctor and i haven't gone in AGES.

thanks for the warm welcome!

Yes... [Only registered members can see links. ] is right .. I found it under this name on wikipedia.
Hope it works :-)

Hello, hughchris and welcome. This will sound patronising although not meant that way, but congratulations on being willing to tackle the depression yourself. Whatever you do I hope you will beat it. Depression can be very debilitating. Don't forget to involve the doctor if you think you need extra support though. Hopefully your doctor would be willing to work with you and not just sell you drugs.

Good luck.

Fish oil can alleviate mild depression because it balances the ratio of omega 3:6 in the body, which in our diets is skewed to a high proportion of omega 6 as opposed to omega 3. Omega 3 decreases inflammation which is associated with an increase in subjective well-being. Aim for 3 grams of omega 3, preferably from cod liver oil, which contains vitamin D, as vitamin D is also linked to alleviating depression in those with a low intake of this vitamin.

All the best

[Paul1]

Initial analyses failed to clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of Omega-3 for all patients taking part in the study. Other analyses, however, revealed that Omega-3 improved depression symptoms in patients diagnosed with depression unaccompanied by an anxiety disorder. Efficacy for these patients was comparable to that generally observed with conventional antidepressant treatment.

From October 2005 to January 2009, 432 male and female participants with major unipolar depression were recruited to take part in this randomized, double-blind study (neither patients nor researchers knew which capsules patients received). For eight weeks, half of the participants took three capsules per day of OM3 Emotional Balance, a fish oil supplement containing high concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The other half took three identical capsules of a placebo consisting of sunflower oil, flavoured with a small quantity of fish oil. In contrast with typical clinical studies designed to assess the effectiveness of antidepressants, this study included a high proportion of patients with complex and difficult-to-treat conditions, including patients resistant to conventional antidepressant treatments and patients also suffering from an anxiety disorder. The aim was to assess the value of Omega-3 supplementation in a group of individuals more like those treated in outpatient clinics.

...

Further, several preliminary clinical studies based on small numbers of patients have suggested that Omega-3 supplements with high concentrations of EPA can help to reduce symptoms of depression among patients who fail to respond to an initial antidepressant treatment. These studies have not, however, convinced the entire scientific community. A broader study was needed to acquire further knowledge about the properties and efficacy of high-quality Omega-3 supplements among patients suffering from major depression.

Exercising is also an effective way of dealing with the symptoms of depression and is immediate. There are other simple ways you can make yourself feel better: Avoid alcohol and drugs, eat correctly and sleep correctly (getting help from the doctor if necessary)

Looks Like St John's wort is no good as well,

The largest clinical trial performed to date on the popular herbal supplement St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) has found it to be no more effective than placebo for the treatment of a moderately severe form of major depression, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center. Major depression, also called major depressive disorder, is one of the most common forms of depression.

From Science Daily reviewing a study conducted by Duke University.

[Only registered members can see links. ]

[toomuch45]

yes i have tried fish oil before its very good but yes i have heard that it can allieviate depression which i wasn't so sure of that but if you exercise while taking those it would probably help too.

good luck

[joseph]

the docter give me that new one cardiginwerer .dose it not work

[mooninleo]

i was taking it for a bit.. i didn't notice much improvement personally. but when i went to visit my 9yo cousin, the next morning in my bedroom she said 'you smell like city fish'

so, that pretty much grossed me out and i stopped taking it. im sorry you're going through depression. is there a root cause behind this depression do you think?

[azulai]

Here's a study that anyone interested on this topic might find interesting.
MedScape Today: [Only registered members can see links. ]

August 26, 2011 — Low levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the major omega-3 fatty acid concentrated in the brain, may increase suicide risk, new research suggests.

A retrospective case-control study of1600 United States military personnel, including 800 who had committed suicide and 800 healthy counterparts, showed that all participants had low omega-3 levels. However, the suicide risk was 62% greatest in those with the lowest levels of DHA.

"Our findings add to an extensive body of research that points to a fundamental role for DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids in protecting against mental health problems and suicide risks," co–principal investigator Capt. Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD, acting chief, Section on Nutritional Neurosciences at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, said in a statement.

He told Medscape Medical News that the US military "goes to great steps" to ensure they provide the best nutrition to their soldiers, especially in combat and deployment situations. However, these findings on the potential usefulness of omega-3 fatty acids for the brain should be taken into account when designing military diets in the future.

"Omega-3 is already recommended by the American Psychiatric Association as adjunctive therapy for anybody with a psychiatric disorder, especially for those with major depression," said Dr. Hibbeln.

When asked whether he would recommend omega-3 even to those without a diagnosis, Dr. Hibbeln replied, "it certainly wouldn't hurt."

"It's best not to categorize this as 'a drug,' but instead as a fundamental nutrient."

The study was published online August 23 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Largest Study of Its Kind

"The recent escalation of U.S. military suicide deaths to record numbers has been a sentinel for impaired force efficacy and has accelerated the search for reversible risk factors," write the investigators.

They note that suicide rates in military personnel have doubled since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and now "rival the battlefield in toll."

Previous research has shown that omega-3 essential highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFAs), especially DHA, are needed for optimal neural function.

"Nutritional deficiencies in n-3 HUFAs may increase vulnerability to combat deployment stress, manifesting as psychiatric symptoms including adjustment disorders, major depression, impulsive violence, and suicide," the investigators write.

In addition, observational studies conducted in civilian populations have suggested that low DHA levels are linked to increased risk for suicide attempt and may contribute to adverse psychiatric symptoms.

For this study, prospectively collected blood samples from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center were evaluated from 800 suicide deaths (95.6% men; mean age, 27.3 years) and 800 randomly selected age- and sex-matched healthy control participants. All were active-duty personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines who served from 2002 to 2008.

"To our knowledge, this is the largest study of biological factors among suicide deaths," the authors write.

The Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center also maintains matched health data, including postdeployment health assessment questionnaires and International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, mental health and substance abuse diagnosis reports.

Higher Suicide Risks

Results showed that "each standard deviation [SD] of lower DHA was associated with a 14% greater risk for suicide (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.27; P < .03)," report the investigators.

Men who had serum DHA levels below 1.75% had a significantly greater risk of completing suicide than men with higher levels (adjusted OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.12 - 2.34; P < .01.)

There was also a 52% higher suicide risk for all participants who reported having witnessed fellow soldiers wounded, killed, or dead (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.11 - 2.09; P < .01).

In addition, there was an increased risk for suicide associated with more inpatient mental health visits (OR, 1.47; P < .001). However, it was not associated with any substance abuse diagnosis.

Although women had a significantly higher mean DHA percentage compared with men (1.48% vs 1.15%), there was no difference in fatty acids found between the women who did and those who did not complete suicide.

"Nearly all US military personnel had low n-3 HUFA status in comparison to North American, Australian, Mediterranean, and Asian populations," write the researchers.

"Although these data suggest that low serum DHA may be a risk factor for suicide, well-designed intervention trials are needed to evaluate causality," they add.

The treatment committee for the American Psychiatry Association, of which Dr. Hibbeln was a member, issued recommendations in 2006 for 1 g/day of n-3 HUFAs for anyone with a psychiatric disorder, and the US Food and Drug Administration has determined that up to 3 g/day is considered safe.

Omega-3 Intake Matters

"I thought this was an impressive study with a very large sample size," Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, professor of psychiatry and psychology and S. Robert David Chair of Medicine at the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, told Medscape Medical News.

"It suggests that the diet of our military, in terms of omega-3 intake, is poor, and that it could have implications for mental health. And that's an important and cautionary note for all of us," said Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser, who was not involved in the study.

As [Only registered members can see links. ] by Medscape Medical News, Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser led a trial showing that omega-3 supplements may lower both anxiety symptoms and proinflammatory cytokines in healthy young adults.

Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser said she was surprised at how low the omega-3 intake was overall in the current study. "Given this is a population that's already under a lot of strains and at risk for depression, it's something that really needs attention."

She noted that Dr. Hibbeln "has become Mr. Omega-3 for a lot of the psychiatric literature," in terms of depression and omega-3 use.

"He's done cross-national studies in a variety of different cohorts that showed repeatedly that depression is associated with lower levels of omega-3. Then, in randomized controlled trials, we see that omega-3 intake has beneficial effects," she reported.

On the basis of the results of this study, said Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser, it's a "no brainer" to investigate whether making dietary improvements in military personnel makes a difference to mental health outcomes.

"For clinicians who treat civilians, I'd say that omega-3 intake matters, and that it's helpful to keep in mind that there might be dietary issues related to depression as well."

The study was supported by a grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and by the Division of Intramural Basic and Clinical Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The study authors and Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

J Clin Psychiatry. Published online August 23, 2011. Abstract

[azulai]

Article mentioned in the previously posted article.

MedScape: [Only registered members can see links. ]

July 22, 2011 — Increasing omega-3 intake may lower both anxiety symptoms and proinflammatory cytokines in healthy young adults, new research suggests.

In a small randomized controlled trial of medical students, those who received omega-3 supplements for 3 months showed a 20% reduction in anxiety scores and a 14% reduction in stimulated interleukin 6 (IL-6) production.

According to the investigators, the study "provides the first evidence that omega-3 may have potential anxiolytic benefits for individuals without an anxiety disorder diagnosis."

"We were impressed by the magnitude of the anxiety effect and the evidence for its anti-inflammatory effects, suggesting that it might have broader benefits," lead study author Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, professor of psychiatry and psychology and S. Robert David Chair of Medicine at the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University College of Medicine (OSUMC) in Columbus, told Medscape Medical News.

She noted that the significant reduction in IL-6 is especially important because the young study population had low rates to begin with.

"So our findings could possibly be much more significant in a group that was older and had more health problems."

The study was published online July 19 in Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

Fish Oil Benefits the Body

"Chronic inflammation has been linked to a broad spectrum of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, and rheumatoid arthritis," write the researchers.

"Large population studies suggest that greater fish consumption may help control or protect against the onset of these and other inflammatory conditions," they add.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are 2 key omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) found in fish oil, which may also benefit mood.

In fact, previous research, including a study reported on last year by Medscape Medical News, has suggested that omega-3 can lower depressive symptoms in patients diagnosed as having clinical depression.

Because both depression and anxiety have been found to increase the production of proinflammatory cytokines, the current investigators hypothesized that giving omega-3 PUFA supplementation to healthy subjects would lead to a decrease in this production.

Secondary outcome measures were lowered anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as lowered negative mood symptoms associated with taking stressful exams.

A total of 68 first- and second-year medical students (56% male; mean age, 23.65 years) were enrolled and randomized to receive 3 times daily either omega-3 supplement capsules (consisting of 2085 mg of EPA and 348 mg of DHA, n = 34) or fish-flavored placebo capsules (n = 34) for 12 weeks.

"We chose the 7:1 EPA/DHA balance because of evidence that EPA has relatively stronger anti-inflammatory and antidepressant effects than DHA," explain the investigators.

"The supplement was probably about 4 or 5 times the amount of fish oil you'd get from a daily serving of salmon," added coauthor Martha Belury, PhD, RD, professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University, in a release.

All participants were interviewed 6 times, and serial blood samples were scheduled to be taken during lower-stress days and on the days before major exams.

In addition, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and Beck Anxiety Inventory were administered at all visits.

Reduced Anxiety, Cytokines

Results showed no significant differences between stress and nonstress days across all outcomes for either group.

"Thus, the ability of omega-3 supplementation to dampen stress response could not be tested," write the researchers.

They note that this was probably due to a sudden change in the medical school's curriculum. Instead of distributing the major tests during a 3-day period, as done in the past, the exams were given throughout the year.

"This group was notably unstressed, which was a severe disappointment and a study limitation. We just didn't get the stress effect we had expected," said Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser.

Still, the treatment group showed a significantly greater reduction in anxiety symptoms at 20% than did the placebo group (P = .04).

They also had a greater decrease in their amounts of stimulated IL-6 production (0.15 units lower, P = .04).

"Anything we can do to reduce cytokines is a big plus in dealing with the overall health of people at risk for many diseases," said coauthor Ron Glaser, PhD, professor of molecular virology, immunology, and medical genetics at OSUMC.

There were no significant changes in depressive symptoms for either group.

"Again, this was not a depressed group, and without more severe depression, you may not see an effect," said Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser.

"Overall, that both anxiety and inflammation were altered is notable, especially in a group that was not clinically anxious," she added.

Even so, the investigators are not yet ready to suggest that everybody should start taking fish oil pills.

"It may be too early to recommend a broad use of omega-3 supplements throughout the public, especially considering the cost and the limited supplies of fish needed to supply the oil. [Instead], people should just consider increasing their omega-3 through their diet," said Dr. Belury.

Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser reported that the investigators have just finished another trial that examined the effects of increasing omega-3 in a population between the ages of 40 and 85 years who have an average body mass index of 30.

Omega-3 for All Psychiatric Disorders?

"This study reveals 2 remarkable, clinically solid findings," Capt. Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD, acting chief, Section on Nutritional Neurosciences at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, told Medscape Medical News.

The first, "which cannot be understated," is the reduction of anxiety scores in a normative population, said Dr. Hibbeln, who was not involved with this study.

"Many trials of omega-3 fatty acids in depression have confused the field because it's very difficult to reduce depression in people who don't have the disorder. And it's also very difficult to reduce anxiety in those who don't have clinically manifest anxiety," he explained.

"The second was that they probed the question of whether or not omega-3 fatty acids at least work in part through changes in the immune system and neural-immune interactions by measuring the effects of cytokine release in the patients' white blood cells ex vivo."

He noted that the "very marked decrease" in cytokine production in the treatment group was impressive.

"This is absolutely consistent with the hypothesis that one of the mechanisms of action for omega-3 fatty acids is not necessarily central but is through down-regulating the immune system. The study begs the question: is increased anxiety a manifest symptom of omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies? And their answer is yes."

Dr. Hibbeln said that the current 2010 US Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines recommend omega-3 PUFAs for the protection of heart disease and for pregnant mothers to prevent deficiencies in their offspring.

In 2006, the treatment committee for the American Psychiatric Association (APA), of which he was a member, issued recommendations that all patients with a psychiatric disorder should take at least 1 gram a day of omega-3 PUFAs to prevent the medical complications that often co-occur for them, such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic problems.

"This paper should be another signal that the practicing psychiatrist should follow the 2006 APA recommendations," concluded Dr. Hibbeln.

The study was funded in part by a grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which is part of the NIH. The study authors and Dr. Hibbeln have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Brain Behav Immun. Published online July 19, 2011. Abstract

I'm quoting the entire articles because I think you have to register to read on MedScape and some may not wish to register.

I take the Omega 3 Fish Oil every day and I usually have salmon three or four times a week and I mix flaxseeds in my juicer with whatever I am juicing.....

The thing that has surprised me alot in the past year..everyone I know who has gone to the doctor including me has been told to take more Vitamin D...I keep envisioning a giant Vitamin D conference somewhere...

[azulai]

Originally Posted by East

I take the Omega 3 Fish Oil every day and I usually have salmon three or four times a week and I mix flaxseeds in my juicer with whatever I am juicing.....

The thing that has surprised me alot in the past year..everyone I know who has gone to the doctor including me has been told to take more Vitamin D...I keep envisioning a giant Vitamin D conference somewhere...

East, that's cool you use a juicer! My dad just got one and he's driving us nuts!
I told him about adding the flaxseed, so he's all excited!

So far I've tasted
apple+carrot+ginger root
blueberry+blackberry+apple+spinach

I declined on his kale concoction.