Fish Oil and Depression

Fish Oil has a tremendous number of benefits, and mental health is one of the most interesting. It is amazing how our bodies work. According to Wikipedia, fish oil has also sparked plenty of interest in the study treating clinical depression symptoms and particularly, bipolar disorder. While there happen to be limited studies done around the subject, there are already notable trials that showed substantial evidence to advise how the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil acted as a mood stabilizer, or no less than, enhanced the gain of SSRI medications. It's also exciting to note that the countries that indicated the highest intake of fish in their diets also correlated with the lowest rates of depressive disorders among citizens.

The NIH says, "There is evidence that increased intake of fish oils is beneficial for the heart, and the possibility that fish oils may also help prevent depression, while not supported by evidence, remains plausible. "

There are some pieces of information which are also negative, for example, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15664306 which says, "There was no evidence that fish oil improved mood when compared to the placebo oil, despite an increase in circulating omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, mood improved significantly in both groups within the first 2 weeks of the study (P<0.001) and this improvement was sustained throughout. In conclusion, fish oil was no more effective than the control as an add-on therapy for depression in this setting."