Is Depression a Dietary problem?

There are two types of essential fatty acids – omega-3 and omega-6.  Both are necessary for health. Neither are made in the body, and so both must be obtained from the diet.

Omega-6 fatty acids are found in many vegetable oils, including soybean, safflower, corn, sunflower, flax and walnut oils.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in flaxseeds, hemp, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and oily cold-water fish.

Omega-3 fatty acids were an important part of our ancestors’ diets, but people today consume only a tiny proportion of the amount naturally occurring in traditional diets.  It appears, however, that we may need omega-3s for our mental health.

British researchers have found that a lack of omega-3 may be responsible for some cases of depression.  They examined the fatty acid composition of red blood cell membranes in both depressed patients and non-depressed controls. The depressed group had significantly fewer omega-3s, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), than the control group.

The lower level of omega-3 found in the cells of depressed patients may be due to greater oxidative damage of cell membranes, indicating that these people have inadequate antioxidant defenses.  Another study found that patients suffering from more severe depression had lower levels of fatty acids and lower dietary intakes of omega-3 than those with milder cases of depression.

Researchers suggest that supplementation with omega-3 might be of therapeutic value for those suffering depression.

(Based on information in: Journal of Affective Disorders, 1998, Vol.48 p.149)

Further studies

A study at Purdue University found that children with attention deficit disorders (ADD) were more likely than their peers to have low levels of omega-3s in their blood.

A study of Japanese teens found that those who had been taking omega-3 supplements for three months were less aggressive during a stressful exam period than teens not taking supplements. 

Note: The information on this website is not a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a qualified medical practitioner.