Depression

THE EFFECT OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

One study investigated the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on the symptoms of depression in patients with acute myocardial infarction. A total of 2,081 patients were given either omega-3 fatty acids or a placebo for a period of one year on a random basis.

After one year, the symptoms of depression were measured using BDI-II score (Becks Depression Score). The higher the score, the stronger the symptoms of depression. Evaluating the group of all patients, no effect of omega-3 fatty acids versus placebo could be documented. If patients indeed showed especially high BDI-II scores it seemed to be attributed to the positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids. Consequently, patients having experienced acute myocardial infarction and suffering from depression may in fact benefit from Omega-3 therapy.