Fish Oil and Depression

There are many health benefits of fish oil, but what about fish oil and depression?

Fish oil, which comes from the tissue of fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, is one of the few dietary sources that contains a substantial amount of the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). DHA and EPA are essential fatty acids (EFAs) that are critical for good health, but the body is not able to produce them and they must come from food or supplements. Many people are deficient in DHA and EPA.

Here are just some of the health benefits of fish oil:

* It has powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
* It reduces the risk for heart disease and heart attack.
* It improves blood vessel functioning.
* It reduces blood triglycerides.
* It increases HDL (good) cholesterol.
* It lowers blood pressure.

With regard to fish oil and depression, there's mounting evidence that fish oil may be an effective anti-depressant. Researchers now know that the DHA and EPA contained in fish oil play an important role in brain function, and countries with the highest fish consumption have the lowest rates of depression.

In one study, researchers noted significantly lower levels of DHA and EPA in the red blood cell membranes of patients with depression. In another study, 64% of the 30 manic-depressive patients who took 10 grams of fish oil per day for four months reported a marked improvement in their symptoms. In another study, DHA and EPA were given to 70 depressed patients who had not been helped by drugs such as Prozac. After 12 weeks, 69% of the patients showed noticeable improvement in their symptoms.

There have been several other studies that have also shown the potential anti-depressant effect of DHA and EPA. Although additional and larger studies are needed to confirm these initial studies, DHA and EPA look very promising when it comes to treating depression.

Although eating fatty fish provides you with DHA and EPA, there's a growing concern that many types of fatty fish are contaminated with PCBs, mercury and other environmental toxins. There's also no way to be sure that the fish you're eating contains enough DHA and/or EPA to provide maximum health benefits. This is why many people are turning to fish oil supplements. A high quality fish oil supplement will be free of contaminants and contain a high concentration of DHA and EPA.

When it comes to purchasing a fish oil supplement, you need to be very selective in what brand you choose. Several brands have been found to contain PCBs, mercury, dioxins, arsenic and lead, and the oil in several brands has been found to be rancid. Safety and efficacy should always be your number one concern. Only buy fish oil supplements from a trusted company that has a track record of producing high quality products and whose products are backed by solid clinical evidence supporting their efficacy and safety.

In conclusion, now that you're aware of the connection between fish oil and depression, you should strongly consider giving fish oil supplements a try if you suffer from depression. In addition to potentially alleviating your depression, you'll also experience the many other health benefits that fish oil supplements provide.