New Study Supports Link between Omega-3 Supplements and Reduced Depression
March 18, 2016—According to the World Health Organization, depression is a major cause of disease burden worldwide, affecting an estimated 350 million people. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, in 2014, an estimated 15.7 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.
A new meta-analysis published inTranslational Psychiatry supports the link between intake of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids, the kind found in fish, and reduction in major depressive disorder (MDD). The meta-analysis included 13 randomized, placebo-controlled studies with 1,233 participants and, according to the authors, showed a benefit for EPA and DHA comparable to effects reported in meta-analyses of antidepressants. The effect was greater in studies supplementing higher doses of EPA and performed in patients already on antidepressants.
The studies included in this meta-analysis were identified by two independent reviewers, with a third brought in to resolve potential conflicts.
"This new meta-analysis nuances earlier research on the importance of long chain omega-3s in MDD management", said Dr. Roel JT Mocking, the study's lead author and researcher at the Program for Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. "Omega-3 supplements may be specifically effective in the form of EPA in depressed patients using antidepressants. This could be a next step to personalizing the treatment for depression and other disorders."
Additionally, this study underscores the importance of EPA and DHA omega-3s for overall health and well-being, and supports an existing body of research on the connection between omega-3s and depression.
ELLEN SCHUTT
ARTICLE:
“Meta-analysis and meta-regression of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for major depressive disorder,” R. J. T. Mocking, I. Harmsen, J. Assies, M. W. J. Koeter, H. G. Ruhé, and A. H. Schene. Translational Psychiatry (2016), doi:10.1038/tp.2016.29. Published online March 15, 2016.
