Long-Term Benefits Found Between Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression

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By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, August 13, 2006, abstracted from Depression and adipose and serum cholesteryl ester polyunsaturated fatty acids in the survivors of the seven countries study population of Crete” in the August 2006 issue of the European Journal fo Clinical Nutrition

As a condition that affects an estimated 18 million Americans,1 depression has been found to be caused by a number of conditions, including osteoporosis,2 stroke,3 and type 2 diabetes.4 While supplements like St. John’s Wort5 and chromium picolinate6 have recently shown hope for enhancing mental health, the fact that depression’s root causes reside in the brain leaves omega-3 fatty acids as perhaps the best way to help promote mental health.

Previous research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids, particularly those found in fish oil (called EPA and DHA), promote mental health by helping decrease inflammatory proteins called PGE27 and interleukins.8 Now a new study9 has found that long-term intake of omega-3 fatty acids are most effective in helping promote mental health.

In the study, researchers studied depression in 124 Greek elderly males with an average age of 84 years. In addition to measuring depression through the Geriatric Depression Scale,10 they measured O3FA intake in both blood and fat tissue. These measurements were used to identify which methods were better predictors of short-term and long-term O3FA intake for helping improve mental health.

The researchers found that depressed males had significantly lower levels of O3FA in fat tissue than non-depressed males while “no significant differences” were seen in the blood measurements. The fact that researchers found measuring fat tissue levels to be better predictors of depression than blood levels is thought to be due to the slow rate of deposition of O3FA to the brain. They also found that this effect on depression may lie in the ability of the O3FA’s to help keep PGE2 levels low, confirming previous research. Finally, keeping PGE2 levels low is thought to help protect an area of the brain called the hippocampus which controls emotion.

For the researchers, “a reduced long-term [omega-3 fatty acid] intake is associated with an elevated risk for depression in the elderly.”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his website www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com.

Reference:
“Depression” posted on the Mayo Clinic Website www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175

Cizza G, Ravn P, Chrousos GP, et al. Depression: A major, unrecognized risk factor for osteoporosis? Trends Endocrinol Metab 2001;12:198-203

Everson SA, Roberts RE, Goldberg DE, et al. Depressive symptoms and increased risk of stroke mortality over a 29-year period. Arch Intern Med 1998;158:1133-8

Ludman EJ, Katon W, Russo J, et al. Depression and diabetes symptom burden. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2004;26:430-6

Szegedi A. Acute trea**ent of moderate to severe depression with hypericum extract WS 5570 (St John's wort): randomised controlled double blind non-inferiority trial versus paroxetine. British Medical Journal Online February 11, 2005

Docherty, J. P., D. A. Sack, et al. (2005). "A double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory trial of chromium picolinate in atypical depression: effect on carbohydrate craving." J Psychiatr Pract 11(5): 302-14

Colin A, Reggers J, Castronovo V, Ansseau M (2003). Lipids, depression and suicide. Encephale 29, 49–58

Aukrust P (2003). Raised plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with depression: normalization during electroconvulsive therapy. J ECT 19, 183–188

Mamalakis G. Depression and adipose and serum cholesteryl ester polyunsaturated fatty acids in the survivors of the seven countries study population of Crete. Eur J Clin Nutr 60: 1016-1023

Kazis A et al. (1999). The validation of the short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) in Greece. Aging Clin Exp Res 11, 367–372