Major Depression Helped by Omega-3s

by Pat Berry

François Lespérance, MD, of the Department of Psychiatry of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, discovered in a randomized controlled trial that omega-3 supplements clearly benefited patients with major depression if they did not also suffer at the same time from anxiety disorders.

This is exciting news, as from what we can gather, this may be the first study done documenting the benefits of omega-3 supplements in treating depression, as opposed to the benefits of a diet high in omega-3's.

Of course, it's great to be able to get all our nutritional needs through our diets, but one of the main concerns with a diet high in omega-3 is that fish is one of the major sources, and most fish today is highly toxic, including with mercury. I stopped eating fish for that reason.

Mercury and other toxic substances are also a concern with many fish oil supplements.

There are other natural helps to prevent and help treat depression. Adequate sleep and spending time in nature are two pleasant ones!

Newly published results from two long-term studies have found that depression is a risk factor for dementia. This is another compelling reason to do what we can to avoid depression naturally.