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A new
research study has again shown that a diet rich in omega3 fatty acids
can effectively treat
and prevent depression and other mental disorders. The research, published
in the February issue of the journal, Biological Psychiatry, has actually
shown that omega3 fatty acids and foods that are high in uridine were
as good as (and often better than) anti-depressant drugs in reducing
the symptoms of depression. The unpredictability
of anti-depressant drugs has caused much concern for many years, with
a large number of
doctors and patients questioning
their use, and raising concerns about the negative (rather than positive)
effects they can cause. Recently,
both Merck and GlaxoSmithKlein (manufacturers of Paxil and Vioxx respectively)
have been taken to court over withheld research results which show
that antidepressant drugs cause children to behave violently and can
increase the likelihood of suicide by up to 400%.
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| This has resulted
in the FDA in the US announcing that it will ensure that all anti-depressant
drugs manufacturers must include a ‘black box’ warning
label on all antidepressant medications. The European Union has
also warned its member states about the risks associated to antidepressant
drugs, particularly since the Journal of the American Medical Association
published a review of the 102 clinical trials on anti-depressants
which showed that results are frequently misreported or hidden.
Based upon this, and other related studies,
there now seems to be a large amount of solid, trustworthy evidence
to suggest that there is no longer a need to rely upon drugs
to treat and prevent depression.
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Omega3 Fatty
Acids Can Help Prevent and Treat Depression
A high-profile article in 1999, published by the Harvard University,
put omega3 in the mental health limelight by offering solid proof that
fish oil could significantly reduce the effects of bipolar disorders.
Individuals who had been condemned to years of high-strength, high-risk
pharmaceuticals began to switch to courses of omega3 supplementation.
This article built upon the findings of a study published in The
Lancet which correlated the results of an earlier cross-cultural
study into
the incidence of depression across ten nations with the consumption
of omega3 fatty acids derived from fish. This study showed a strong
correlation between the nations where depression was far less frequent
and the average intake of omega3 fatty acids. These findings were
then further strengthened by a 2003 research study which was published
in
the American Journal of Psychiatry. These results, which compared
similar cross-national epidemiological data, offered further proof
to strengthen
the link between omega3 fatty acids and their role in treating and
preventing depression and other mental disorders.
Omega3 is an essential fatty acid which is prevalent in flaxseed,
pumpkin seed, almonds, many green leafy vegetables and walnuts
(more on omega3
fatty acids). They are known as Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) as the
body is not able to synthesise them by itself and relies upon food
sources and their health benefits include increased energy, protection
against degenerative diseases, a strengthened immune system, and
increased brain function.
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid -- a component of omega-3 fatty acids)
is essential for developing and protecting the gray matter of the
human
brain and the retina of the eye, and is used in every cell in the
body. Research has shown it to be vital at every stage of human life,
beginning
in utero.
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Omega3 and Depression
Many researchers have correlated the decrease in our daily diets of
omega3’s
and the increase in degenerative diseases (such as cancer and cardiovascular
diseases) and mental illness. Researchers such as Udo Erasmus cite the
huge increase in the intake of highly refined saturated fats and a huge
decrease in the consumption of essential fatty acids as the defining
factor in the corresponding rise in the number of people diagnosed with
degenerative diseases and mental illness over the past century.
Similarly, Dr Joseph Hibbeln of the National Institute for Health in
the US, states that: "In the last century, [Western] diets have
radically changed and we eat grossly fewer omega-3 fatty acids now. We
also know that rates of depression have radically increased by perhaps
a hundred-fold."
As noted above, the correlation between omega3 fatty acids (more specifically,
DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA) and depression and other mental
disorders has been discovered has in dozens of well respected research
studies.
Further evidence can be seen in a Finnish study published in the
Journal Psyciatric Services during 2001. This large scale study
revealed that
there was a significantly reduced chance of developing depressive
symptoms if individuals consume fish rich in omega3 fatty acids
on a regular
basis.
A further study in 2003 which was published in the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that in elderly patients suffering
with depression, there were significantly lower levels of omega3
fatty acids.
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