| rchers have known for a long time that the sea holds | | | | body and are mainly found in seafood. Of the |
| many great cures and treatments for humans. Some | | | | omega-3 fatty acids, the one with the largest impact |
| of the compounds made naturally in sea life are not | | | | on the human brain is DHA. DHA is believed to help |
| found anywhere on land and have proven to help | | | | neurons communicate, which means the signals in the |
| humans in a number of ways. Now researchers are | | | | brain can be processed faster and better. Like other |
| saying that fish oil that contains omega-3 fatty acids | | | | omega-3 fatty acids, DHA cannot be produced by |
| can help people fight depression. | | | | the human body, so we must attain it purely from |
| Doctors at the Massachusetts General Hospital who | | | | our diets. |
| have watched the clinical trials report that they are | | | | At Sheffield University, researchers have found that |
| impressed with the results. These early results should | | | | depressed patients given omega-3 fatty acids see |
| encourage more testing. Since fish oil does not have | | | | improvement more than twice as often as depressed |
| negative effects, it is a study that can easily be | | | | patients given a placebo. Many patients that have |
| conducted on a wide scale. | | | | taken anti-depressants to combat their depression |
| Many scientists and researchers first became | | | | find that it makes them feel strange. While omega-3 |
| interested in fish oil when they observed that the | | | | fatty acids raise the level of serotonin much like |
| countries with the highest rates of fish consumption | | | | these anti-depressants do, no patients have reported |
| had the lowest rates of reported depression. It was | | | | the side effects that they can have. |
| also observed that mothers in England that ate little | | | | Many early studies indicate that as little as one gram |
| or no fish during pregnancy had twice the risk of | | | | of omega-3 fatty acids is effective in treatment. This |
| going through postpartum depression when | | | | dose can be taken as part of a supplement, or simply |
| compared to women that ate higher amounts of fish | | | | by eating fish such as salmon, tuna, or sardines. |
| during pregnancy. These initial observations are what | | | | These positive early results should lead to more |
| caused scientists and researchers to want to find out | | | | study using larger sample sizes. Some researchers |
| why these trends occurred, and if fish really was the | | | | even feel omega-3 fatty acids will be effective at |
| cause. In the research, it was found that the specific | | | | fighting the effects of bipolar disorder and |
| cause of the anti-depression benefits was the | | | | schizophrenia. Even though fish oil may not help |
| omega-3 fatty acids found in many fish oils. | | | | everyone with depression, people who do not like |
| Researchers have also fed omega-3 fatty acids, | | | | how some anti-depressants make them feel might be |
| independent of fish oils, to piglets and found the | | | | very interested to discuss with their doctor if they |
| omega-3 fatty acids had a similar effect on the piglet | | | | can try it as a means to fight their depression. |
| brains as some prescription medicines does. Some | | | | These statements have not been evaluated by the |
| anti-depressants help fight depression by raising the | | | | Food and Drug Administration. This product is not |
| level of serotonin, and omega-3 fatty acids have | | | | intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any |
| been shown to do the same. | | | | disease. |
| Omega-3 fatty acids are not produced by the human | | | | |