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Fish Oils and Depression - Is There A Connection

By: milton haslam

Read More About Depression

One of the most misunderstood woods that we have is depression. If somebody says that they are depressed because they feel a little "down and out", they are overstating the problem. However, serious cases can reach the status of a disease. Research has shown that this disease can be frequently caused or worsened by insufficient nutrition. This article will discuss why omega 3 fish oils and depression are tied together, and what we can do to improve the situation.
Psychiatrist and best selling author Dr. Harold Bloomberg said that "depression is not the same as being sad or discouraged... it is an illness, one that can be controlled with proper treatment or that can ruin your life, if you do not get the help you need."

How do fish oils and depression tie together?
Research has shown that individuals are more likely to suffer from it if they have low levels of omega 3s in their blood - particularly the two found in fish oil - DHA and EPA. Since over 90% of people in the Western world suffer from an omega 3 deficiency, the odds are against us.

Separate studies from Hibbeln and Stoll started a wave of others from countries all over the world. The common thread was that there was an inverse relationship between diets of fish oils and depression. In some cases 10-to-20 to 1.

The U.S. military seems to agree. They are looking at adding DHA/EPA to food rations because they benefit four of the top five conditions for which soldiers receive hospital treatment - depression, post traumatic stress, surgical complications and pregnancy.

In addition, the DOD is concerned about grim statistics associated with combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The suicide rate is 2/3 that of battle field casualties. They believe nutrition is a partial cause here as well.

What do scientists think is happening?
Every human cell membrane has DHA/EPA in it. Higher levels of it help ease the way for a chemical messenger called serotonin to communicate with other cells.
"Research still needs to be done on the exact mechanisms involved," Dr. Stoll notes, "but we do know that omega-3 does affect the membranes and changes functioning." And increasing omega-3s "has direct effects on serotonin levels."
It gets worse. Dr. Earl Mindell recently published a multi-page list of prescription and over the counter products that aggravate the problem. That even included certain anti-depressant drugs [he is not kidding].

Fish oils and depression is a complex subject. Dr. Bloomberg has stated that nutrition is a factor in 25% of serious cases. Some experts think that number is too low.

A few more points.
Having seafood each day is like gambling. In fact. enough of the heavy metal contaminants in the fish could start some processes that will actually cause depression.

Be cautious if you are already taking anti-depression medication. Get your doctors approval before mixing fish oils with this type of medication. The mix may not be a good fit. Keep in mind that fish oil is food. If you want to consider a more natural way of doing things, then consider omega 3 supplementation.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Get my free five-part mini course on the benefits of omega 3, including critical information on why you should take omega3 fish oil. To sign up for the course and get more tips on the importance of omega 3, visit my website: www.omega-3-guide.com/

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