Fish Oil Supplements Probably Won't Boost Your Mood

Posted on September 17, 2020

Many people take fish oil supplements to manage their mental health. It’s true that omega-3 fatty acids may reduce inflammation, which is linked to depression, and research suggests, deficiencies are associated with any number of mental health problems, including dementia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, and autism.

Why might that be? Besides dysregulating our immune-inflammatory system, lack of omega-3 fatty acids could interfere with our endocrine system governing hormones and the nervous system. Your symptoms might arise from your diet or because your body doesn’t absorb these essential fats well. That’s the case for supplements.

But there’s a catch: in a 2019 overview of 31 trials analyzing the effects of omega-3 supplements, typically over six or twelve months, researchers concluded that that they had “little or no effect in preventing depression or anxiety symptoms.” Ditto for hope that the pills could help children with autism or attention deficit disorder.

While there’s very strong evidence that those suffering from depression often have low omega-3 levels, the deficiency may be a marker rather than a cause.

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Category(s):Mood Swings / Bipolar

Source material from Psychology Today