Omega 3 effective in Treating Depression

Filed in archive Food and Agriculture on June 12, 2010

© Stephen Cummings

In a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatryresearches report that Omega-3 supplements are an effective treatment for patients with major depression who are not also affected by anxiety disorders.

In the study, participants with with major unipolar depression took either three capsules per day of OM3 Emotional Balance, a fish oil supplement containing high concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), or three identical capsules of a placebo that consisted of sunflower oil, flavoured with a small quantity of fish oil.

While initial analyses failed to clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of Omega-3 for all patients taking part in the study, it has been revealed, however, that Omega-3 improved depression symptoms in patients diagnosed with depression unaccompanied by an anxiety disorder. The efficacy for these patients was comparable to that generally observed with conventional antidepressant treatment.