Table of contents
- Effect of Long-term Supplementation With Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids vs Placebo on Risk of Depression or Clinically Relevant Depressive Symptoms and on Change in Mood Scores – A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Personal note by the founder of VitaminDWiki
- VitaminDWiki - Vitamin D and Omega-3 category
- VitaminDWiki - studies in both of the categories of Depression and Omega-3
- VitaminDWiki - Depression Intervention (Vitamin D. Omega-3...)
- VitaminDWiki - Depression summary
- 14+ VitaminDWiki pages with OMEGA-6 in the title
Effect of Long-term Supplementation With Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids vs Placebo on Risk of Depression or Clinically Relevant Depressive Symptoms and on Change in Mood Scores – A Randomized Clinical Trial
JAMA. 2021;326(23):2385-2394. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.21187 (PDF is behind a paywall)
Olivia I. Okereke, MD, SM1,2,3; Chirag M. Vyas, MBBS, MPH1; David Mischoulon, MD, PhD1; et al Grace Chang, MD, MPH4; Nancy R. Cook, ScD3,5; Alison Weinberg, MA5; Vadim Bubes, PhD5; Trisha Copeland, MS, RD5; Georgina Friedenberg, MPH5; I-Min Lee, MBBS, ScD3,5; Julie E. Buring, ScD3,5; Charles F. Reynolds III, MD6; JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH2,3,5
Objective To test effects of omega-3 supplementation on late-life depression risk and mood scores.
Design, Setting, and Participants A total of 18 353 adults participated in the VITAL-DEP (Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial-Depression Endpoint Prevention) ancillary study to VITAL, a randomized trial of cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention among 25 871 US adults. There were 16 657 at risk of incident depression (no previous depression) and 1696 at risk of recurrent depression (previous depression, but not for the past 2 years). Randomization occurred from November 2011 through March 2014; randomized treatment ended on December 31, 2017.
Interventions Randomized 2 × 2 factorial assignment to vitamin D3 (2000 IU/d), marine omega-3 fatty acids (1 g/d of fish oil, including 465 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 375 mg of docosahexaenoic acid) or placebo; 9171 were randomized to omega-3 and 9182 were randomized to matching placebo.
Main Outcomes and Measures Prespecified coprimary outcomes were risk of depression or clinically relevant depressive symptoms (total of incident + recurrent cases); mean difference in mood score (8-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-8] depression scale).
Results Among 18 353 participants who were randomized (mean age, 67.5 [SD, 7.1] years; 49.2% women), 90.3% completed the trial (93.5% among those alive at the end of the trial); the median treatment duration was 5.3 years. The test for interaction between the omega-3 and the vitamin D agents was not significant (P for interaction = .14). Depression risk was significantly higher comparing omega-3 (651 events, 13.9 per 1000 person-years) with placebo (583 events, 12.3 per 1000 person-years; hazard ratio [HR], 1.13; 95% CI, 1.01-1.26; P = .03). No significant differences were observed comparing omega-3 with placebo groups in longitudinal mood scores: the mean difference in change in PHQ-8 score was 0.03 points (95% CI, −0.01 to 0.07; P = .19). Regarding serious and common adverse events, the respective prevalence values in omega-3 vs placebo groups were major cardiovascular events (2.7% vs 2.9%), all-cause mortality (3.3% vs 3.1%), suicide (0.02% vs 0.01%), gastrointestinal bleeding (2.6% vs 2.7%), easy bruising (24.8% vs 25.1%), and stomach upset or pain (35.2% vs 35.1%).
Conclusions and Relevance Among adults aged 50 years or older without clinically relevant depressive symptoms at baseline, treatment with omega-3 supplements compared with placebo yielded mixed results, with a small but statistically significant increase in risk of depression or clinically relevant depressive symptoms but no difference in mood scores, over a median follow-up of 5.3 years. These findings do not support the use of omega-3 supplements in adults to prevent depression.
Personal note by the founder of VitaminDWiki
For years I took Omega-3 supplements without feeling any benefits
I got an low-cost Omega-3 index test and found that I was low
Omega-6 restricts the amount of Omega-3 that the body can use
Omega-6 lowers the Omega-3 index test results
- I changed my brand of Omega-3 to one which is more bio-available (Coromega)
- I reduced my consumption of Omega-6
- I now have a good Omgea-3 index (=6) and also now feel the benefits
VitaminDWiki - Vitamin D and Omega-3 category
CIlck here for details
VitaminDWiki - studies in both of the categories of Depression and Omega-3
- Overweight needed more EPA (4 grams) to fight depression – RCT Aug 2022
- Anxiety, depression, and suicide have recently surged (Note: Vitamin D, Omega-3, and Magnesium help) – May 2022
- Omega-3 did not prevent depression (they failed to reduce Omega-6, which blocks Omega-3) – RCT Dec 2021
- Mental health not helped by vitamin D monotherapy (adding Omega-3 and Magnesium help) – review Nov 2021
- Benefits of Omega-3 plus Vitamin D were additive – RCT Sept 2021
- Depression treatments: diet, exercise, bright light, Vitamin D, B12, Omega-3, Zinc, Music, etc. – May 2019
- Omega-3 helps treat Major Depression – International Consensus Sept 2019
- Mental disorders fought by Omega-3 etc. - meta-meta-analysis Oct 2019
- Omega-3 reduces Depression. Anxiety, Stress, PTSD, etc. – Aug 2018
- Depression treated by Omega-3 (again) – meta-analysis Aug 2019
- Depression after childbirth 5 X less likely if good Omega-3 index – April 2019
- Occupational burnout reduced after 8 weeks of Omega-3 – RCT July 2019
- Anxiety severity reduced if more than 2 grams of Omega-3 – meta-analysis Sept 2018
- Psychotic disorders not treated by Omega-3 when patents take anti-depressants and get therapy – June 2018
- Happy Nurses Project gave Omega-3 for 3 months – reduced depression, insomnia, anxiety, etc for a year – RCT July 2018
- Depression – is it reduced by Vitamin D and or Omega-3 – RCT 2019
- Benefits of Omega-3 beyond heart health - LEF Feb 2018
- Omega-3 improves gut bacteria, reduces inflammation and depression – Dec 2017
- Unipolar depression treated by Omega-3, Zinc, and probably Vitamin D – meta-analysis Oct 2017
- Omega-3 reduces many psychiatric disorders – 2 reviews 2016
- Omega-3 does not consistently treat depression if use small amounts for short time period – review Oct 2016
- How Omega-3 Fights Depression – LEF July 2016
- Depression due to inflammation reduced by Omega-3 (children and pregnant) – Nov 2015
- Depression treated somewhat by Omega-3 (St. John's Wort better) – RAND org reviews 2015
- Depression substantially decreased with Omega-3 – Sept 2015
- Omega-3 for just 3 months greatly reduced psychosis for 80 months – RCT Aug 2015
- Omega-3 prevents PTSD and some mood disorders - Aug 2015
- Omega-3, Vitamin D, and other nutrients decrease mental health problems – March 2015
VitaminDWiki - Depression Intervention (Vitamin D. Omega-3...)
- Depression cost-effectively reduced by 50,000 IU of Vitamin D monthly (Iranian teens) – July 2023
- Infants getting an additional 800 IU of vitamin D for 2 years had 60% fewer psychiatric symptoms at age 7 – RCT May 2023
- Anxiety and Depression decreased in senior prediabetics with weekly 25,000 IU of Vitamin D – RCT Sept 2022
- Depression decreased by Vitamin D (12th study in VitaminDWiki) – RCT Nov 2022
- Overweight needed more EPA (4 grams) to fight depression – RCT Aug 2022
- Smoking depression, etc. reduced by Vitamin D (bi-weekly, 50,000 IU) - RCT Dec 2021
- Omega-3 did not prevent depression (they failed to reduce Omega-6, which blocks Omega-3) – RCT Dec 2021
- Weekly Vitamin D plus daily Magnesium is great (reduced depression in obese women in this case) – July 2021
- Depression in psychiatric youths reduced 28 percent after just 1 month of vitamin D – RCT Feb 2020
- Yet another study confirms Depression is treated by weekly Vitamin D (50,000 IU)– RCT Dec 2019
- Depression decreased after vitamin D (50,000 IU weekly to elderly in the case) – RCT Oct 2019
- Vitamin D - no cure for depression (when you use only 1200 IU) – Aug 2019
- Depression reduced in Diabetics with 3 months of 4,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT July 2019
- Vitamin D treatment of diabetes (50,000 IU every 2 weeks) augmented by probiotic – RCT June 2018
- Women had better sexual desire, orgasm and satisfaction after Vitamin D supplementation – Feb 2018
- Vitamin D depression RCT canceled: too many were taking Vitamin D supplements, etc. Feb 2018
- Depression in adolescent girls reduced somewhat by 50,000 IU weekly for 9 weeks – July 2017
- Perinatal depression decreased 40 percent with just a few weeks of 2,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Aug 2016
- Just 1500 IU of Vitamin D significantly helps Prozac – RCT March 2013
- Reduced depression with single 300,000 IU injection of vitamin D – RCT June 2013
- 40,000 IU vitamin D weekly reduced depression in many obese subjects – RCT 2008
- 50,000 IU Vitamin D weekly Improves Mood, Lowers Blood Pressure in Type 2 Diabetics – Oct 2013
VitaminDWiki - Depression summary
- Low vitamin D is associated with most types of depression, Including: Seasonal Affective Disorder. manic depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymia, Depression during/after pregnancy, Seniors, Suicide
- Depression substantially reduced by Vitamin D, Omega-3, Magnesium, etc – many studies
- Depression 1.6 X more likely if low Vitamin D, taking Vitamin D reduces depression – umbrella of meta-analyses – Jan 2023
- Depression: Low vitamin D in the strongest of 11 risk factors – Jan 2023
- Yet another study confirms Depression is treated by weekly Vitamin D (50,000 IU)– RCT Dec 2019
- Depression treated by Omega-3 (again) – meta-analysis Aug 2019
- Supplementing with Vitamin D (or getting more sun) decreases most types of depression as well as drugs
- Omega-3, Magnesium, and St. Johns' Wort also decrease depression
- Speculate that some combination (Vit D, Omega-3, Mg, St John's) will decrease depression even more
- Note: Both Omega-3 and Magnesium increase the amount of vitamin D which gets to tissues
- Antidepressants reduce cellular Vitamin D, increasing fractures, CVD, etc. - Oct 2022
- There are
272 items in the Depression category in VitaminDWiki Some recent publications
- Depression in seniors greatly reduced by Vitamin D (50,000 IU weekly) – meta-analysis June 2023
- Depression reduced if take more than 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily – umbrella meta-analysis – Jan 2023
- Post-partum depression and low Vitamin D - many studies
- Depression: Low vitamin D in the strongest of 11 risk factors – Jan 2023
14+ VitaminDWiki pages with OMEGA-6 in the title
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