Lee Swanson Research Update

Omega-3s May Help Improve Depression Measures for Seniors

March 2011

Daily supplements of omega-3 fatty acids may improve measures of depression in seniors with mild to moderate depression, according to new findings from Iran.

Writing in the peer-reviewed European Archives of Psychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience, researchers from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences report that six months of supplementation with 300 mg of both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) resulted in significant improvements in depression scores, as measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15).

"In this study, low-dose omega-3 PUFAs had some efficacy in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in elderly participants,” the researchers wrote.

Despite the growing number of studies, the science overall is insufficient to support a link between omega-3s and depression, according to the British Medical Journal’s Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin in 2007.

The new Iranian study adds to the ongoing debate, and concludes that omega-3 fatty acids were "clinically more effective in treating depression in comparison with the placebo.” The researchers recruited 66 over-65-year-olds and randomly assigned them to receive an omega-3 supplement—one gram of fish oil per day, providing 300 mg of both EPA and DHA—or placebo for six months.

Results of the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study indicated that "after adjusting for cholesterol, BMI and history of thyroid dysfunctions, a statistically significant difference was seen in GDS-15 scores between both groups,” the researchers said.

PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) from fish oil include EPA and DHA. EPA is proposed to function by increasing blood flow in the body. It is also suggested to affect hormones and the immune system, both of which have a direct effect on brain function. DHA, on the other hand, is involved in the membrane of ion channels in the brain, making it easier for them to change shape.

European Archives of Psychiatry Clinical Neuroscience Published online ahead of print.

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