{"id":8324,"date":"2021-05-29T16:10:38","date_gmt":"2021-05-29T15:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/?p=8324"},"modified":"2021-05-17T21:11:45","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T20:11:45","slug":"omega-3-and-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/blog\/omega-3-and-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Omega 3 and Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Content<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"#world\">Depression in the world<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"#imp\">The impact of nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"#infl\">How omega-3 influences our brain<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"#good\">Is fish oil good for mental health?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"#conc\">Conclusion<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Feeling depressed, lacking motivation or just a bit sad? You\u2019re not alone. With the changing seasons, colder temperatures and longer nights, we all need some extra help to keep our mood up. Be it \u201chygge\u201d or long winter walks, there are many things we can do to improve our mood. But sometimes, a low mood might not just be due to a sudden drop in temperature and less daylight, but the result of a medical condition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">In this article we will look at the role of food with regard to our mental health and how some supplements like omega \u2013 3 fatty acids can have a positive effect on our mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"world\"><\/a>Depression is more common than you might think<\/h2>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">About <a href=\"https:\/\/omegaquant.com\/new-research-highlights-omega-3-as-top-mental-health-nutrients-and-not-a-moment-too-soon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>450 million<\/strong><\/a> people in the world are living with mental disorders, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)<\/span><span lang=\"EN-GB\">, depression being the most common one. Depression is a mood disorder that is marked by feelings of persistent low mood, sadness, lethargy and lack of interest in activities that affects over 300 million people in the world. Its treatment typically involves antidepressant medication and therapy, but there is a lot of new research happening all the time, to gather more information and find better solutions for people affected by it. There are many causes for depression, if you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) for example, the onset of winter can cause your energy levels to drop and your mood to darken.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\"><a id=\"imp\"><\/a>Our Diet Can Impact Our Mental Health<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Recently, researchers have started to establish a <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/wps.20672\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>connection between our diet and mental health <\/strong><\/a><\/span><span lang=\"EN-GB\">which shows, that what we feed our body can directly impact how we are feeling, not just our physical health. While we already know that a healthy and balanced diet are important for our physical well-being, this shows that our diet also impacts our mind. While it is known, that depression is less common in countries where people eat a lot of fish, scientists are now starting to investigate whether fish oil can prevent or treat depression and other mood disorders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mental-health-2019924_1920-1024x682-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8232\" src=\"http:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mental-health-2019924_1920-1024x682-1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"702\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mental-health-2019924_1920-1024x682-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mental-health-2019924_1920-1024x682-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mental-health-2019924_1920-1024x682-1-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mental-health-2019924_1920-1024x682-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 702px) 100vw, 702px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Nutritional supplements as additional treatment<\/h3>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">A new meta-analysis shows that some nutritional supplements can function as an effective additional treatment for some mental disorders. The strongest evidence has been found for omega \u2013 3 supplements as an <a href=\"https:\/\/omegaquant.com\/new-research-highlights-omega-3-as-top-mental-health-nutrients-and-not-a-moment-too-soon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>add-on treatment<\/strong><\/a> for major depression. It can go as far as to reduce symptoms beyond the effects of antidepressants alone. With findings like this, the role of nutrition in mental health is becoming increasingly acknowledged.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">We will now explain what omega \u2013 3 fatty acids are and why they are so important for our body.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\"><a id=\"infl\"><\/a>How Omega \u2013 3 Influences Our Brain<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the fatty acids responsible for the health benefits of fish oil supplements. These omega \u2013 3 fatty acids and our body cannot produce them itself, so we rely on consuming them through our diet or with the help of <a href=\"https:\/\/norwayomega.com\/blog\/is-krill-oil-better-than-omega-3-oil-or-is-omega-3-oil-better-than-krill-oil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>supplements<\/strong> <\/a>like fish oil or krill oil. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3>omega-3, a strong anti-inflammatory<\/h3>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">These fats are good and healthy for us because of their anti-inflammatory properties and importance for our cell membranes. They also plan an important role for our heart health and our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/omega-3-fish-oil-for-brain-health#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>neural development<\/strong><\/a> for example. While it is possible to synthesize EPA and DHA from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), another omega \u2013 3 fatty acids which naturally occurs in foods like walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, canola oil and soybeans, this process is very inefficient and taking a supplement can be a more effective solution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/window-view-1081788_1920-1024x683-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8217\" src=\"http:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/window-view-1081788_1920-1024x683-1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"641\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/window-view-1081788_1920-1024x683-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/window-view-1081788_1920-1024x683-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/window-view-1081788_1920-1024x683-1-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/window-view-1081788_1920-1024x683-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>How EPA and DHA impact our brain<\/h3>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Now we know what these omega \u2013 3 fatty acids are, but what do they do to our brain?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">EPA and DHA are critical for <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/18072818\/#:~:text=They%20function%20exclusively%20via%20cell,and%20EPA%20generate%20neuroprotective%20metabolites.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>the development of our brain<\/strong><\/a> and its function throughout all our lives and support our body in the maintenance of normal brain function by preserving cell membrane health and facilitating the communication between brain cells. Especially during our first years and during pregnancy they are crucial. Several studies have linked an increased intake of omega \u2013 3 by the mother to higher scores in intelligence and brain function tests in their children. <a href=\"https:\/\/norwayomega.com\/blog\/omega-3-is-good-for-both-mother-and-child\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Here<\/strong> <\/a><\/span><span lang=\"EN-GB\">you can read more about the importance of fish oil during pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">In older adults, lower levels of DHA have been associated with smaller brain size, which is a sign of accelerated brain ageing. And while it cannot cure Alzheimer\u2019s, the most common type of dementia, fish oil can improve brain function in people with mild types of brain conditions like mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or age-related cognitive decline. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/norwayomega.com\/blog\/how-omega-3-can-help-our-brain-and-memory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here<\/a> <\/strong>you can read more about the impact of omega \u2013 3 on the brain and our memory. While supplementing with omega \u2013 3 does not seem to improve brain function in healthy individuals without memory problems, it can lead to an improvement for those with mild conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Next to their impact on brain development, omega \u2013 3s are considered a promising <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>natural treatment<\/strong><\/a> when it comes to certain mood disorders like depression, which we will look into in the next part of this article.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\"><a id=\"good\"><\/a>Is Fish Oil Good For Mental Health?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">The answer to this is two-fold: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mhanational.org\/omega-3s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>promising but not yet proven<\/strong>.<\/a> Like we mentioned in the beginning of this article, there is a connection being established between nutrition and mental health. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mosaic-200864_1920-1024x678-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8234\" src=\"http:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mosaic-200864_1920-1024x678-1-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"739\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mosaic-200864_1920-1024x678-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mosaic-200864_1920-1024x678-1-768x509.jpg 768w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mosaic-200864_1920-1024x678-1-510x338.jpg 510w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mosaic-200864_1920-1024x678-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 739px) 100vw, 739px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>nutrition and mental health<\/h3>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">There is research looking at the role of nutrition in mental health and there is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.winchesterhospital.org\/health-library\/article?id=642486\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>some evidence<\/strong><\/a>, that people who take omega \u2013 3 are less likely to be depressed, and that people who do suffer from depression or anxiety and started to take omega \u2013 3s have seen an improvement in their symptoms. A recent review of clinical studies on the subject concluded that taking fish oil supplements improved depressive symptoms in people with depression <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4872453\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>comparable<\/strong> <\/a>to those of antidepressant medication<\/span><span lang=\"EN-GB\">. The biggest impact however has been on people who also took antidepressants while supplementing with fish oil, and the effect seemed greater when the fish oil contained higher doses of EPA. EPA therefore seems to be the omega \u2013 3 fatty acid that is best at fighting depression, even though researchers are not sure about why that is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>More research is needed<\/h3>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">There is no consensus about how omega \u2013 3 fatty acids improve depression, but there are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/blog\/omega-3-fatty-acids-for-mood-disorders-2018080314414\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>several suggestions<\/strong><\/a> from scientists. Some say that because they are water-soluble, the fatty acids can easily enter into the brain and its cell membranes and interact with mood-related molecules inside the brain. Others suggest that the anti-inflammatory nature of EPA and DHA can help relieve depression.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">While more research is needed, there is a lot of evidence supporting that people with depression or a mild decline in brain function could benefit from taking omega \u2013 3 supplements on a daily basis. Omega \u2013 3 fatty acids therefore are a promising natural treatment for mood disorders, but more research is needed on how effective they are and about their long-term safety.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><a href=\"http:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-pixabay-208518.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8227\" src=\"http:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-pixabay-208518-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"737\" height=\"491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-pixabay-208518-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-pixabay-208518-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-pixabay-208518-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-pixabay-208518-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-pixabay-208518-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-pixabay-208518.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 737px) 100vw, 737px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\"><a id=\"conc\"><\/a>Conclusion<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">While there is more research needed, there is growing evidence that omega \u2013 3 fatty acids can help alleviate symptoms of depression and even improve the effect of antidepressant medication. But omega \u2013 3 fatty acids also play an important role in the maintenance of our brain function, our heart health and many other processes in our body, so a daily supplement should be on everyone\u2019s list. These essential nutrients can do a lot of good in our body and if you want to learn more, head over to our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/norwayomega.com\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">blog<\/a> <\/strong>or browse our <a href=\"https:\/\/norwayomega.com\/shop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>shop<\/strong> <\/a>for our selection of high-quality fish oil and krill oil products.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Content Depression in the world The impact of nutrition How omega-3 influences our brain Is fish oil good for mental health? Conclusion Feeling depressed, lacking motivation or just a bit sad? You\u2019re not alone. With the changing seasons, colder temperatures and longer nights, we all need some extra help to keep our mood up. Be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8271,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[24,25,245,37,115],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8324"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8324"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8324\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8325,"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8324\/revisions\/8325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norwayomega.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}