Vince, would you have an url for this please? I would like to repost it as
well as am interested personally.
best wishes
Shan
_Fish oil and depression _
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Alternative_Medicine_Forum/message/51391;_ylc=X3oDMTJybWxhNTJlBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzQxOTgyNTEE
Z3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYwODE0BG1zZ0lkAzUxMzkxBHNlYwNkbXNnBHNsawN2bXNnBHN0aW1lAzEyMD
QxODg3NDg-)
Posted by: "vincemiraglia" _vincemiraglia%40yahoo.com">_vincemiraglia
yahoo.com _
(mailto: vincemiraglia%40yahoo.com">vincemiragliayahoo.com?Subject= Re:Fish%20oil%20and%20depression) _vincemiraglia _
(http://profiles.yahoo.com/vincemiraglia)
Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:31 pm (PST)
Fish Oil Eases Depression
WebMD Medical News
Oct. 18, 2002 -- It may sound fishy, but researchers say taking a
daily fish-oil supplement may boost the effectiveness -- or even
replace -- antidepressants for treating depression in some people.
In a new study, people who added a daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids
to their regular antidepressant treatment had significant improvement
in symptoms, including anxiety, sleeping problems, sadness, decreased
sexual desire, and suicidal tendencies.
Although there are many effective treatments for depression, most only
work in a limited number of patients or have significant side effects
that prompt users to stop taking them. That's inspired researchers to
look for new ways to treat the mental illness or increase the
effectiveness of existing treatments.
Previous studies have suggested that depressed people have
lower-than-normal levels of a fatty acid known as EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid), which plays an important role in maintaining
normal brain function.
In this study, the researchers examined the effectiveness of adding
various dosages of EPA supplement to normal drug therapy in 70 people
with persistent depression that was not responding to standard
antidepressants. The results appear in the October issue of the
Archives of General Psychiatry.
Researcher Malcolm Peet, MD, of Swallownest Court Hospital in
Sheffield, England, and colleagues found that patients who took the
lowest, 1-gram daily, fish-oil dose showed significant improvements on
all major measures of depression compared with those who took a
placebo. In particular, 69% of the patients who took the 1-gram dose
had a 50% reduction in their symptoms, compared with only 25% of those
who took a placebo.
A 2-gram dose showed little effect, but those taking the highest,
4-gram, dose showed a trend toward improvement in symptoms. The
researchers say larger studies are needed to confirm these effects.
The omega-3 fatty acid may work to ease depression by improving the
effectiveness and absorption of existing medications, the researchers
say. But they note that a limited number of their patients who are not
on antidepressant therapy have seen improvements similar to those seen
in this study through treatment with fish-oil supplements alone.
In addition, they say treatment with omega-3 fatty acid may be
especially beneficial for depressed patients who are at risk for heart
disease, in light of recent research about fish oil's heart-healthy
effects.
Thanks Vince
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