Heart-healthy omega-3 (fish oil) fights depression

OHMYGOSSIP — Heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil have also been shown to benefit the brain. New research out of King’s College London have found the fatty acids may not only treat depression but can also prevent it.

The researchers noted inflammation has been linked with depression. For example, a common treatment for chronic hepatitis C — known as interferon-alpha therapy — has been shown to cause depression in approximately 30 percent of patients.
 
But the latest research — by a group of international researchers led by Carmine Pariante, M.D. — found omega-3 fatty acids had a marked impact on inflammation-induced depression, reducing the rate of the mental-health disorder in most of 152 patients treated with them after just two weeks.
 
The researchers said the two main omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil supplements — EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) — both were well tolerated, with no serious side effects, and delayed the onset of depression.
 
“The study shows that even a short course of a nutritional supplement containing one such omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid reduced the rates of new-onset depression to 10 percent,” said Dr. Pariante, a Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London.
 
The study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, noted omega-3 fatty acids have a long list of health benefits, including lowering the risk of heart disease and reducing triglyceride levels.

“These new data provide promising support for omega-3 fatty acids to prevent depression, complementing other studies where omega-3’s were found to enhance antidepressant treatment,” said John Krystal, M.D., editor of Biological Psychiatry.