July 2008
Fish oil for depression
Best known for its heart-protective effects, fish-oil supplements may also help ease depression, a new clinical trial suggests.
People who have severe depression tend to have depleted levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers suspect that declining omega-3 levels may play an especially powerful role in pregnancy-related depression, since demands from a fetus can cause the mother's omega-3 fatty acid levels to plunge.
Researchers in Taiwan recruited 36 pregnant women with depression and gave half of them capsules containing about 3 grams of the fatty acids from fish each day for eight weeks. The other half took a placebo. Symptoms of depression improved significantly more in those taking fish oil than in those given placebos, though it took about six weeks for benefits to emerge.
The fish oil caused no adverse effects in the women or their babies in the trial. Tests by Consumer Reports several years ago found that popular brands of fish-oil pills didn't contain worrisome levels of dioxin, mercury, or PCBs, possibly making them safer for pregnant or nursing women than some fish.
But larger studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of fish oil for depression and to determine the best dose for pregnant women and other people. If symptoms of depression surface, confer with a health professional to determine the best treatment.
Mild depression should generally be treated first with more established methods, such as regular exercise and possibly meditation or yoga. And pregnant women should not take fish-oil pills, or any other supplement, without first talking with their doctor. If you opt for the pills, look for products that are labeled "USP Verified" for purity and potency.
This article first appeared in the July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
People who have severe depression tend to have depleted levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers suspect that declining omega-3 levels may play an especially powerful role in pregnancy-related depression, since demands from a fetus can cause the mother's omega-3 fatty acid levels to plunge.
Researchers in Taiwan recruited 36 pregnant women with depression and gave half of them capsules containing about 3 grams of the fatty acids from fish each day for eight weeks. The other half took a placebo. Symptoms of depression improved significantly more in those taking fish oil than in those given placebos, though it took about six weeks for benefits to emerge.
The fish oil caused no adverse effects in the women or their babies in the trial. Tests by Consumer Reports several years ago found that popular brands of fish-oil pills didn't contain worrisome levels of dioxin, mercury, or PCBs, possibly making them safer for pregnant or nursing women than some fish.
But larger studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of fish oil for depression and to determine the best dose for pregnant women and other people. If symptoms of depression surface, confer with a health professional to determine the best treatment.
Mild depression should generally be treated first with more established methods, such as regular exercise and possibly meditation or yoga. And pregnant women should not take fish-oil pills, or any other supplement, without first talking with their doctor. If you opt for the pills, look for products that are labeled "USP Verified" for purity and potency.
This article first appeared in the July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
