The American Heart Association currently recommends people eat two servings of omega-3 rich fish each week for its benefits to cardiovascular health. Maybe the American Psychiatric Association should do the same:
In a study of 106 healthy volunteers, researchers found that participants who had lower blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression, a more negative outlook and be more impulsive. Conversely, those with higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable.
“A number of previous studies have linked low levels of omega-3 to clinically significant conditions such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse and attention deficit disorder,” said Sarah Conklin, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar with the Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
If you are interested in which fish to choose, I have previously written on which fish are the best choice for high omega-3 content and low mercury content.
If you are averse to fish, you can always get them in pill form (I actually try to do both). The best and cheapest I have found are from VitaCost.
Full press release here.
[tags]omega-3,fish,mental health,mood,depression,mercury[/tags]