Posted by galkeepinon on August 25, 2003, at 21:39:42
In reply to Re: Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Depression - » galkeepinon, posted by Larry Hoover on August 25, 2003, at 8:04:20
Lar, Thank you so very much for your thoughtfulness for all this great information. It is very much appreciated-as always! You are such an asset to this board.
I am going to give these fatty acids a try, I'm sure you'll hear about my progress on the boards;)
Thanks again!:-)
galkeepinon> > I've seen threads about these Omega 3 fatty Acids sometimes but thought they were hogwash, but ya know, I've never given them a chance. My friend said today she swore by them!!
>
> I do, too.
>
> > Does anyone know of a site that could tell me info on what exactly they do for depression, what kind to buy, dosaging, etc.???
>
> Ed's site (http://www.omega3.20megsfree.com) has some explanations, and links to other sites with more info.
>
> Here are some more:
> http://www.oilofpisces.com/depression.html
> http://www.oilofpisces.com/fishdata.html
> http://vvv.com/healthnews/fishoils.html
> http://puterakembara.org/rm/EFA.htm
>
> Simply put, omega-3 fatty acids help keep brain cell membranes healthy, and keep the receptors that work with all the various neurotransmitters functioning at their best. Omega-3s from fish oil are also transformed into numerous signalling compounds, things that regulate inflammation and your immune system, cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, among other things. They're just plain good for you.
>
> > I am guilty for not taking the advice earlier, but I guess it's true~~you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
>
> Aah, but now you're thirsty.
>
> > I'm really interested in trying these Fatty Acids out, my thoughts before were 'can't I just eat a whole bunch of salmon' *embarrased*
>
> Eating a whole bunch of salmon would be better, in my opinion. It is possible, however, that the concentrated form in which fish oil capsules are taken provides additional benefits just because they're concentrated. But, fish contains many other really good things your body and brain needs, such as DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol), and substantial amounts of minerals. Some fish is contaminated with pollution, which may be a consideration in Britain (e.g. farmed salmon from the North Sea). There are pros and cons to both concepts.
>
> In either case (fish and/or fish oil), make sure you take fat some vitamin E, and/or alphalipoic acid, because fish oils oxidize quite readily.
>
> > Anyone have info?
> > Thanks:-)
>
> Here are a few abstracts, which I selected for their general content.
>
>
> Psychiatr Serv. 2001 Apr;52(4):529-31.
>
> Fish consumption and depressive symptoms in the general population in Finland.
>
> Tanskanen A, Hibbeln JR, Tuomilehto J, Uutela A, Haukkala A, Viinamaki H, Lehtonen J, Vartiainen E.
>
> Department of Psychiatry, University of Kuopio, Finland. antti.tanskanen@kuh.fi
>
> Fish contains high concentrations of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Several studies have reported depletions of omega-3 fats among depressed patients, and a cross-national comparison has revealed a significant inverse correlation between annual prevalence of major depression and fish consumption. In a sample of 3,204 Finnish adults, depressive symptoms were estimated with the Beck Depression Inventory. A frequency question was used to measure fish consumption. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between depression and fish consumption. After the analysis adjusted for potential confounders, the likelihood of having depressive symptoms was significantly higher among infrequent fish consumers than among frequent consumers.
>
>
> Am J Psychiatry. 2002 Mar;159(3):477-9.
>
> Addition of omega-3 fatty acid to maintenance medication treatment for recurrent unipolar depressive disorder.
>
> Nemets B, Stahl Z, Belmaker RH.
>
> Ministry of Health Mental Health Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
>
> OBJECTIVE: Studies have reported that countries with high rates of fish oil consumption have low rates of depressive disorder. The authors studied a specific omega-3 fatty acid, the ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid (E-EPA), as an adjunct to treatment for depressive episodes occurring in patients with recurrent unipolar depressive disorder who were receiving maintenance antidepressant therapy. METHOD: Twenty patients with a current diagnosis of major depressive disorder participated in a 4-week, parallel-group, double-blind addition of either placebo or E-EPA to ongoing antidepressant therapy. Seventeen of the patients were women, and three were men. RESULTS: Highly significant benefits of the addition of the omega-3 fatty acid compared with placebo were found by week 3 of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: It is not possible to distinguish whether E-EPA augments antidepressant action in the manner of lithium or has independent antidepressant properties of its own.
>
>
> Biomed Pharmacother. 2002 Oct;56(8):365-79.
>
> The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids.
>
> Simopoulos AP.
>
> The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, Washington, DC 20009, USA. cgnh@bellatlantic.net
>
> Several sources of information suggest that human beings evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) of approximately 1 whereas in Western diets the ratio is 15/1-16.7/1. Western diets are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and have excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids compared with the diet on which human beings evolved and their genetic patterns were established. Excessive amounts of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and a very high omega-6/omega-3 ratio, as is found in today's Western diets, promote the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, whereas increased levels of omega-3 PUFA (a low omega-6/omega-3 ratio) exert suppressive effects. In the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, a ratio of 4/1 was associated with a 70% decrease in total mortality. A ratio of 2.5/1 reduced rectal cell proliferation in patients with colorectal cancer, whereas a ratio of 4/1 with the same amount of omega-3 PUFA had no effect. The lower omega-6/omega-3 ratio in women with breast cancer was associated with decreased risk. A ratio of 2-3/1 suppressed inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and a ratio of 5/1 had a beneficial effect on patients with asthma, whereas a ratio of 10/1 had adverse consequences. These studies indicate that the optimal ratio may vary with the disease under consideration. This is consistent with the fact that chronic diseases are multigenic and multifactorial. Therefore, it is quite possible that the therapeutic dose of omega-3 fatty acids will depend on the degree of severity of disease resulting from the genetic predisposition. A lower ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids is more desirable in reducing the risk of many of the chronic diseases of high prevalence in Western societies, as well as in the developing countries, that are being exported to the rest of the world.
>
>
> J Nutr. 1998 Dec;128(12):2512-9.
>
> Dietary fish oil affects monoaminergic neurotransmission and behavior in rats.
>
> Chalon S, Delion-Vancassel S, Belzung C, Guilloteau D, Leguisquet AM, Besnard JC, Durand G.
>
> INSERM U316, Laboratoire de Biophysique Medicale et Pharmaceutique, 37200 Tours, France.
>
> We studied the effects of a fish oil enriched diet on fatty acid composition of cerebral membranes and on several neurochemical and behavioral variables of monoaminergic function in rats. The frontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus and cerebellum were studied in rats fed fish oil (FPO, 50% salmon oil + 50% palm oil), which provided an (n-6)/(n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio of 0.14 versus 6. 19 in controls fed a diet containing a mixture of African peanut oil and rapeseed oil. In the FPO group compared to the control group, the major modifications in fatty acid composition of cerebral membranes included the following: higher levels in 22:6(n-3), lower levels in 20:4(n-6) and a significantly greater proportion of phosphatidylserine. Dopamine levels were 40% greater in the frontal cortex of rats fed FPO than from those fed the control diet. In this cerebral region there was also a reduction in monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) activity and greater binding to dopamine D2 receptors. By contrast, a lower binding to dopamine D2 receptors (-7%) was observed in the striatum. Ambulatory activity was also reduced in FPO-fed rats, possibly related to observed changes in striatal dopaminergic receptors. This suggested that the level of (n-6) PUFA, which was considerably lower in the FPO diet than in the control diet, could act on locomotion through an effect on striatal dopaminergic function, whereas the high level of (n-3) PUFA could act on cortical dopaminergic function.
>
>
> Lipids. 1999 Feb;34(2):161-9.
>
> Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids on neuronal function.
>
> Fernstrom JD.
>
> Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. fernstromjd@msx.upmc.edu
>
> Diets deficient in linoleic acid (18:2n-6), or that have unusual ratios of linoleic acid to alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) induce changes in the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition of neuronal and glial membranes. Such changes have been linked to alterations in retina and brain function. These functional effects are presumed to follow from the biochemical consequences of modifying membrane PUFA content; known effects include modifications in membrane fluidity, in the activities of membrane-associated, functional proteins (transporters, receptors, enzymes), and in the production of important signaling molecules from oxygenated linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid derivatives. However, despite the demonstration that central nervous system function changes when dietary PUFA intake is altered, and that in general, membrane PUFA content influences membrane functions, little work has focused specifically on brain and retina to reveal the underlying biochemical bases for such effects. This review examines this issue, looking at known effects of dietary PUFA on neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, and attempts to identify some approaches that might promote productive investigation into the underlying mechanisms relating changes in dietary PUFA intake to alterations in neuronal and overall nervous system functioning.
>
>
poster:galkeepinon
thread:252197
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030823/msgs/254083.html