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Can fish oils help to treat depression?

  
 
Peach Pie
15:47 / 26.04.07

Just wondering if barbeloids have any experience of this. Have had depression for some time. Have been taking fish oil for a month - more effective than anything else I have tried.

I keep wondering if it's all in my mind, because I have found not one official NHS study confirming the benefits of it. Yet anecdotal evidence I have read tallies with my own experience - fish oils increas concentration, improve mood, help improve diet etc.

Apparently the companies like Igennus that produce them simply do not have the overheads to conduct medical trials - ergo no "official" evidence that they have antidepressant effect. That's one argument at least.

Any advice?
 
 
All Acting Regiment
16:23 / 26.04.07
Well, I'm no expert, but oily fish is good for you in all sorts of ways, so it can only help.
 
 
_Boboss
16:28 / 26.04.07
try googling 'omega 3 high doses depression' - you'll get interesting articles suggesting as such, if not quite the final word on the matter you might be hoping for.

not to sound like your mum or anything, but relaxation, combined with exercise, sunshine and the odd sympathetic ear are the most successful and side-effect free treatments for depression I've seen.
 
 
Peach Pie
16:35 / 26.04.07

Thanks. Have seen lots of tiny mini-reports, like this one:

http://www.vegepa.com/newsItem.php?d=18

Apparently fish oils were due to be given to school kids to boost learning ability. Then they were withdrawn. I didn't find outn the reason.
 
 
_Boboss
17:10 / 26.04.07
Sorry i feel I should qualify what i said above a bit - talking therapies like CBT in combination with modern antideprssants are probably the most effective way of combating chronic depression - I don't mean to suggest the above relaxation etc. will fix it if you've got an underlying long term condition.

However in my experience therapy/meds without the, erm, 'positive lifestyle factors' I mentioned above, as well as a good diet, are much less likely to end in a happy, permanent resolution of the depressive symptoms.

(And don't underestimate the potential side-effects of many common antidepressants, including nasty withdrawal syndromes.)
 
 
Evil Scientist
18:57 / 26.04.07
Well, fish oils are certainly beneficial for a number of reasons. But I'm automatically distrustful of companies which site nebulous reasons for lack of evidence.

Seriously, the major pharmaceutical companies would be all over fish oil like a rash if they thought it was valuable as an anti-depressant.

I'd encourage intake of the fishy oils. But even if it treats the symptoms of depression it's not necessarily treating the cause.
 
 
grant
19:39 / 26.04.07
Check The Laboratory, right here! Is subject OF SCIENCE for talking!
 
 
Peach Pie
16:34 / 27.04.07

Seriously, the major pharmaceutical companies would be all over fish oil like a rash if they thought it was valuable as an anti-depressant.

That's interesting, Scientist. Basant Puri argues that they would not be interested them as they couldn't patent them. I think it used to be the case that they received no offical endorsement from unaffiliated medical organisations. Recently, however, taking 1g of fish oil a day has been endorsed by no less a significant organisation than the American Pscyhiatrist Association:

Recently, things have changed dramatically at the American Psychiatric Association. Their Committee on Research on Psychiatric Treatments convened an Omega-3 Subcommittee of experts on fatty acids and behavior. They report their recommendations in an article published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, “Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Evidence Basis for Treatment and Future Research in Psychiatry.”

They reviewed all the evidence of the link between omega-3 fatty acids and psychiatric disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Perinatal Depression. They also reviewed the data on Alzheimer’s disease, Borderline Personality Disorder, Impulsivity, and ADHD. They concluded that the side effects of giving fish oil supplements are generally mild. They came up with these recommendations:

-All adults should eat fish [especially cold water fish] at least twice a week

-Patients with mood, impulse-control, or psychiatric disorders should consume 1 g of EPA each day.


I'd encourage intake of the fishy oils. But even if it treats the symptoms of depression it's not necessarily treating the cause.

I'd alter the question slightly... For me, it's whether or not the fish oils treat the biological causes. Doctors like Puri and Alex Richardson contends that they increase cellular messaging in the brain, by increasing the necessary EPA in the phospholipid layer of the prefrontal cortex.

Thanks for the link, Grant. Had heard the comparison about rates of depression in New Zealand and Japan before. I find it quite interesting. Japan has a depression rate 50 times lower, and I feel the answer must be dietetic on some level.
 
 
imaginary mice
18:08 / 27.04.07
As far as I know it’s essential to get the balance right between omega 3 and omega 6, so I’m not sure if omega 3 supplements are such a good idea. I’m a vegan and take the Vertese “selectively balanced” Omega Oils 3-6-9 supplement, which you can get from health food stores.

St John’s Wort is an excellent (and proven??) herbal remedy if you’re feeling mildly depressed. The only downside is that it interferes with the pill, which is why I haven’t taken St John’s Wort for years. (So unfair. Why can’t I have sex and be happy at the same time?) Not a problem if you’re a bloke obviously.

I started taking Prozac a couple of months ago. I wasn’t actually that depressed at the time. I’m a chronically shy person and read somewhere that Prozac can make you feel more confident and sociable, so I thought it was worth a shot. The antidepressants have certainly had some interesting effects on me. I’m just glad I wasn’t severely depressed when I started taking them, because they actually made me feel worse for several weeks. I haven’t felt that hopeless and suicidal since I was a teenager. Feeling less inhibited can be great in social situations but it’s not so good when you’re doing 100 miles per hour on the motorway and want to kill yourself. There’ve been times when I felt completely paranoid. I’ve had very severe mood swings - bursting into tears one minute, feeling ecstatically happy the next. Babbling incoherently for hours. Not feeling in control. Etc.

I’ve been fine for the last few days and I’ve decided to take the medication for a bit longer, at least until my first counselling session in a couple of weeks’ time. But I’ve now stopped taking the pill, stocked up on condoms (hooray!) and I will probably switch to St John’s Wort instead of renewing my prescription. Looking forward to it.

Donnie, you don’t say if you’re just feeling down or if you’re severely depressed. If you’re just mildly depressed I would definitely recommend St John’s Wort. The effects wear off after a while but it’s certainly very pleasant at first. Then there’s the usual stuff - a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, fresh air, talking to a good friend… I know how utterly lethargic you can feel when you’re depressed but I think it’s very important to keep yourself occupied and not spend all day in bed or in front of the telly, as it will only make you feel worse.
 
 
Peach Pie
09:01 / 28.04.07


Thanks for all that... I thought that most people suffered from an *excess* of omega 6 acids from things like junk food, so the more that you cut down on them and stocked up on omega 3, the better. But don't quote me.

As to the degree of my depression, it's probably moderate. What I've found useful about vegEPA is that it inclines me to all the other useful "antidepressants" you've mentioned - exercise, quality time with friends, good diet.

Did you know the Bush dynasty holds the patent for Prozac? O/T, but I think of Bush now whenever I hear that drug mentioned.
 
  
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