Essential fatty acids have been found to be important to healthy brain functions and their deficiency to be a factor in depression, Alzheimers and other mental disorders.

Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) are required, at optimum levels, for normal brain function.

Depression

Depression is becoming more common and the average age of onset is becoming lower.

While depression has many causes, it’s interesting to note that populations that eat greater quantities of fish are less depressed. Japan has the highest consumption of fish per capita and the world’s lowest depression rate at 0.12% according to a study by Hibbeln that was reported in Lancet. New Zealand on the other hand has the lowest consumption rate of fish and the highest rate of depression—6%—fifty times greater than Japan. So it’s safe to say that low fish consumption, and the corresponding low intake of fatty acids can be a factor in depression.

Dozens of studies over the last thirty years have shown that deficiencies of essential fatty acids are involved in many mental and neurological conditions including depression, ADD, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, dementia, bipolar disorder, and learning disabilities.

The use of omega-3 fatty acids to treat depressed patients is encouraging because the supplement doesn’t interfere with the pharmaceuticals other than possibly increasing their effectiveness. In some patients, it may be possible to reduce the level of the pharmaceutical and still manage the illness.

Dementia and Alzheimers

The Annals of Neurology reported a Rotterdam study in which 5386 elderly people were examined to compare their mental symptoms with diet. The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease was 60% lower in those who ate fish at least once per week.

There was a 1999 study reported in Lipids in which 20 elderly Japanese (average age 83) with stroke-related dementia were given 720 mg DHA or placebo for one year. The people who received the DHA had improvements in cognition and memory.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

CFS is a growing problem that affects women far more than men—currently 500,00 to 800,000 people in the USA. It’s difficult to diagnose and there’s no standard treatment.

One study reported by a Scandinavian Neurology journal involved giving patients (4 grams) of Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA), EPA and DHA. 85% of the patients improved compared to only 17% of the patients taking a placebo.

People who suffer from CFS should talk to their physicians about adding essential fatty acids to their weekly diet. Taking large doses of any supplements would be unwise without a doctor’s approval and monitoring.

Eating Fish

While eating fish is good, some fish are contaminated with heavy metals. It might be better to use supplements if you want to get a significant amount of essential fatty acids in your diet.

Resources:

Vanderhaeghe L, and Karst, K; Healthy Fats for Life: preventing and treating common health problems with essential fatty acids; 2004; John Wiley and Sons Canada, Ltd.

Hibbeln, J. “Fish Consumption and Major Depression,” The Lancet 351, 1998, p 1213.

Kalmijn, S., et al., “Dietary fat intake and the risk of incident dementia in the Rotterdam Study,” Annals of Neurology 42, 1997: p776-782.

Behan, P., Behan W., Horrobin, D., “Effect of high doses of essential fatty acids on the postviral fatigue syndrome,” Acta Neurology Scandinavia 82, 1990, p 209-216.

Cenacchi, T, et al. “Cognitive decline in the elderly. A double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter study on efficacy of phosphatidyl serine administration’. Aging Clin Exp Res 1993;5:123-33.

Terano T, et al. “Docosahexanoic acid supplementation improves the moderately severe dementia from thrombotic cerebrovascular diseases.” Lipids 1999;34:S345-46.

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