Posted by Chris O on March 4, 2005, at 18:58:31
In reply to Re: Fish oil experience--6 grams/day for 2 weeks » Chris O, posted by tealady on March 4, 2005, at 16:04:56
Andrew Stoll and others are fond of using that sociological data showing that certain countries, usually those that eat higher amounts of fish, have less depression, less mental illness than the United States. Japan and Korea are often on the top of these lists. That has always puzzled me. As someone who has worked with both Japanese and Koreans, and someone who knows a bit about those societies...I just would not frame either Korea or Japan as models of healthy mental functioning. Korea, especially, is wracked with alcoholism, prostitution, early death for men, and lack of egalitarian status (due to hyper-Confucianism) for
women, children, etc. I understand that both Japan and Korea are highly stressful societies, so perhaps the data holds up in some way based on that criteria, but...I don't, from what I know, see the logic in saying that Korea and Japan suffer from "less depression" than the US based on their higher consumption of fish. I'm just not seeing it.
poster:Chris O
thread:465631
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050225/msgs/466650.html