These two publications extensively review scores of Omega-3/Psychiatric trials
Table of contents
N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids through the Lifespan: Implication for Psychopathology
International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology: 19 (10) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyw078 pyw078 online: 8 Sept 2016
Matteo M. Pusceddu PhD, Philip Kelly PhD, Catherine Stanton PhD, John F. Cryan PhD, Timothy G. Dinan PhD
- Overview: Omega-3 many benefits include helping vitamin D
- Vitamin D and omega-3 are the only supplements which show benefit in meta-analysis – Jan 2012
- Overview Alzheimer's-Cognition and Vitamin D
- Vitamin D reduces Alzheimer’s disease in at least 11 ways – Jan 2013
- Cognition of Alzheimer’s patients improved by daily 4,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Jan 2015
- Alzheimer’s disease 21 percent more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis Aug 2015
- Overview Schizophrenia and Vitamin D
- ADHD and Vitamin D Deficiency
ADHD 2 times more likely if poor Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio – meta-analysis May 2016
ADHD helped by combination of Omega-3 and Zinc - 2016
Half of ADHD children treated by Omega-3 RCT 2009 - Depression category listing has
268 items along with related searches - Battling the winter blues with vitamin D (4000 IU) Dec 2015
- Anti-depression medication about as good as big increase in vitamin D – meta-analysis of flawless data April 2014
- Cognition and vitamin D – summary of expert opinions – July 2014
- Omega-3 reduced aggressive incidents in prisoners by 30 percent – RCT June 2018
Omega-3 and Depression (items in both categories)
- 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
Omega-3 and Cognition (items in both categories)
- Risk of Alzheimer’s is decreased by food, supplements, and lifestyle – Aug 2024
- APOE-04 Alzheimer’s progression slowed up by Omega-3 – RCT Aug 2024
- Dementia prevented by Omega-3, Vitamin D, etc. book and video May 2024
- Better cognition associated with higher Omega-3 index – Sept 2023
- Alzheimer’s delayed 4.7 years by high Omega-3 index (7.6 years if also have APOE-4) June - 2022
- Dementia 4.1 X high risk in those with low Vitamin D, Omega-3, etc.2 decades before (behind paywall) – Nov 2021
- Early brain development helped by Iron, Iodine, Vitamin D, Omega-3. Zinc etc. – Oct 2021
- Omega-3 paused Alzheimer's decline - RCT Sept 2021
- Seafood (Omega-3) during pregnancy increased childhood IQ by 8 points – review Dec 2019
- Omega-3 index of 6 to 7 associated with best cognition in this study – Nov 2019
- Eating fish improves cognition (Omega-3 fish during pregnancy in this case) - Oct 2019
- Mental disorders fought by Omega-3 etc. - meta-meta-analysis Oct 2019
- Omega-3 prevents Parkinson’s Disease – Review of RCT July 2019
- Omega-3 helps brains of seniors – May 2019
- Omega-3 helped Alzheimer’s only if good level of B vitamins – RCT April 2019
- Standard Omega-3 not get past blood-brain barrier in seniors at high risk of Alzheimer’s – Patrick hypothesis Oct 2018
- APOE4 gene problems (Alzheimer’s) reduced by both Vitamin D and Omega-3 - Dec 2018
- Omega-3 is important for Brain Health during all phases of life – Aug 2018
- Hypothesis: Omega-3 reduces Alzheimer’s directly and via the gut – Sept 2018
- Improve Cognitive Health and Memory with Vitamin D and Omega-3 – World Patent March 2018
- IQ levels around the world are falling (perhaps lower Vitamin D, Iodine, or Omega-3)
- Adding Vitamin D, Omega-3, etc to children’s milk improved memory (yet again) – RCT June 2018
- Omega-3, Vitamin D, Folic acid etc. during pregnancy and subsequent mental illness of child – March 2018
- Why Alzheimer’s studies using Omega-3 have mixed results – quality, dose size, Omega-6, genes, etc. March 2018
- Benefits of Omega-3 beyond heart health - LEF Feb 2018
- Supplementation while pregnant and psychotic – 20 percent Omega-3, 6 percent Vitamin D – June 2016
- ADHD, Autism, Early Psychosis and Omega-3 – review Dec 2017
- Mild Traumatic Brain Injury prevented with Omega-3, Resveratrol, etc (in rats) – Oct 2017
- Omega-3 found to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in animals – Sept 2017
- The End of Alzheimer's and Dementia if adjust Vitamin D, B-12, Iron, Omega-3, etc.
- Violent schizophrenia patients treated by 3 months of Omega-3 – RCT Aug 2017
- Psychosis risk reduced for 80 weeks by just 12 weeks of Omega-3 – RCT Aug 2017
- Alzheimer’s (apoE4) may require more than Omega-3 - May 2017
- Infants getting 1 g of Omega-3 for 12 weeks got better brains – RCT March 2017
- Omega-3 reduces many psychiatric disorders – 2 reviews 2016
- Cognitive Impairment 1.8 times more likely if low Omega-3– Oct 2016
- Omega-3 may treat schizophrenia
- Benefits of Omega-3 on brain development
- Omega-3 helps childhood cognition – meta-analysis April 2016
- Football Brain injuries prevented by Omega-3 – RCT Jan 2016
- Schizophrenia treated by 6 months of Omega-3 – RCT Nov 2015
- Omega-3 and infant development - dissertation Sept 2015
- Omega-3 etc improved both cognition and mobility of older women – Aug 2015
- Schizophrenia relapses reduced 3X by Omega-3 – RCT Mar 2015
- Cognitive decline in elderly slowed by Omega-3 – meta-analysis May 2015
- Cognitively impaired brain atrophy was slowed 40 percent by Omega-3 and B vitamins – RCT July 2015
- Omega-3, Vitamin D, and other nutrients decrease mental health problems – March 2015
- Vitamin D, Omega-3 supplementation helps cognition – perhaps due to serotonin – Feb 2015
- Vitamin D and Omega-3 may reduce cortical atrophy with age – Nov 2013
- Alzheimer’s and Vitamins D, B, C, E, as well as Omega-3, metals, etc. – June 2013
Omega-3 and Inflamation (items in both categories)
- Opioid addiction reduced by Omega-3 (gut inflammation in mice) – Aug 2019
- Treat wounds, stop inflammation with nanoemulsion textile of Omega-3 and Resveratrol - Sept 2019
- Inflammation is reduced by each of the following: Vitamin D, Omega-3, Diet
- Sepsis reduced the Omega-3 response and half life – April 2019
- Pollutants increase Respiratory problems, Vitamin D, Omega-3, etc. decrease them – May 2018
- Severe acute pancreatitis treated in 11 ways by Omega-3 in just 7 days – RCT April 2018
- Omega-3 treats animal inflammation better than human (those studies use higher doses and different ratios than for humans) - March 2018
- Omega-3 helps muscles and reduces inflammation, lipids, and insulin – Nov 2015
- Omega-3 improves gut bacteria, reduces inflammation and depression – Dec 2017
- Can burn pain be relieved by 4 g of Omega-3 and 2,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT due 2021
- 2.7 fewer days in hospital after surgery if had taken Omega-3 (19 RCT) – meta-analysis – June 2017
- Sepsis: 4 fewer days in ICU if add Omega-3 – meta-analysis of 12 RCT – June 2017
- Omega-3 reduces many psychiatric disorders – 2 reviews 2016
- Depression due to inflammation reduced by Omega-3 (children and pregnant) – Nov 2015
- Omega-7 - in addition to Omega-3
- Inflammation reduction through diet: Omega-3 etc. Feb 2014
- Traumatic brain injury treated by Vitamin D Progesterone Omega-3 and glutamine – May 2013
- Omega-3 reduced vitamin D3 inflammation for obese – RCT Jan 2013
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
Mechanisms
Objective: The impact of lifetime dietary habits and their role in physical, mental, and social well-being has been the focus of considerable recent research. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as a dietary constituent have been under the spotlight for decades. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids constitute key regulating factors of neurotransmission, neurogenesis, and neuroinflammation and are thereby fundamental for development, functioning, and aging of the CNS. Of note is the fact that these processes are altered in various psychiatric disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease.Design: Relevant literature was identified through a search of MEDLINE via PubMed using the following words, “n-3 PUFAs,” “EPA,” and “DHA” in combination with
- “stress,”
- “cognition,”
- “ADHD,”
- “anxiety,”
- “depression,”
- “bipolar disorder,”
- “schizophrenia,” and
- “Alzheimer.”
The principal focus was on the role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids throughout the lifespan and their implication for psychopathologies. Recommendations for future investigation on the potential clinical value of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were examined.
Results: The inconsistent and inconclusive results from randomized clinical trials limits the usage of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in clinical practice. However, a body of literature demonstrates an inverse correlation between omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and quality of life/ psychiatric diseases.
Specifically, older healthy adults showing low habitual intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids benefit most from consuming them, showing improved age-related cognitive decline.Conclusions: Although further studies are required, there is an exciting and growing body of research suggesting that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may have a potential clinical value in the prevention and treatment of psychopathologies.
Conclusions (from PDF)
Despite strong evidence pointing out an inverse correlation between n-3 PUFAs levels and quality of life/psychiatric diseases, the introduction of n-3 PUFAs in clinical practice is still in its infancy. The primary reason for this is largely because of inconsistent and inconclusive randomized clinical trials. Inadequate dosing, inadequate duration, and lack of placebo control are major weaknesses in many studies. Use of insensitive and inappropriate clinical rating measures is another cause for concern. Nonetheless, there are some clear recommendations emerging. Low habitual intake of n-3 PUFAs is associated with poorer mental health and, in children, low literacy ability. A major finding is the positive evidence within older healthy adults with age-related cognitive decline. They benefit most from consuming n-3 PUFAs, particularly DHA. However, with the development of senile dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, n-3 PUFAs lose efficacy. While MDD still remains one of the most discussed and investigated forms of psychopathology, a clear identification of n-3 PUFAs as a treatment or adjunct therapy has not yet emerged. The evidence base is still weak and RCTs have been inconsistent with many study design limitations. Hence, a major challenge ahead is to design and conduct rigorous RCTs to provide proper evidence of n-3 PUFA application in clinical conditions, such as MDD. Further studies are also required to definitively demonstrate that n-3 PUFAs reduce the risk of transit from a prepsychotic state to overt schizophrenia. On the other hand, n-3 PUFAs are safe and well-tolerated supplements with only mild transient side effects. Moreover, being considered as a “natural remedy” and due to their relatively low cost, n-3 PUFAs represent an appealing option for individuals. While the evidence is not entirely conclusive to make specific recommendations for dietary intake of n-3 PUFAs, the limited ability of synthesis of n-3 PUFAs de novo and their critical role in brain development and functioning make it reasonable to include n-3 PUFAs in a balanced daily diet.
Supplementation with Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of Literature Data.
J Clin Med. 2016 Jul 27;5(8). pii: E67. doi: 10.3390/jcm5080067.
Bozzatello P1, Brignolo E2, De Grandi E3, Bellino S4.
1Centre for Personality Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy. paola.bozzatello@unito.it.
2Centre for Personality Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy. elena.brignolo@yahoo.com.
3Centre for Personality Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy. elisa.degrandi@gmail.com.
4Centre for Personality Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy. silvio.bellino@unito.it.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWikiA new application for omega-3 fatty acids has recently emerged, concerning the treatment of several mental disorders. This indication is supported by data of neurobiological research, as highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) are highly concentrated in neural phospholipids and are important components of the neuronal cell membrane. They modulate the mechanisms of brain cell signaling, including the dopaminergic and serotonergic pathways. The aim of this review is to provide a complete and updated account of the empirical evidence of the efficacy and safety that are currently available for omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The main evidence for the effectiveness of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been obtained in mood disorders, in particular in the treatment of depressive symptoms in unipolar and bipolar depression. There is some evidence to support the use of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of conditions characterized by a high level of impulsivity and aggression and borderline personality disorders. In patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, small-to-modest effects of omega-3 HUFAs have been found. The most promising results have been reported by studies using high doses of EPA or the association of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In schizophrenia, current data are not conclusive and do not allow us either to refuse or support the indication of omega-3 fatty acids. For the remaining psychiatric disturbances, including autism spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders and substance use disorder, the data are too scarce to draw any conclusion. Concerning tolerability, several studies concluded that omega-3 can be considered safe and well tolerated at doses up to 5 g/day.
PMID: 27472373 PMCID: PMC4999787 DOI: 10.3390/jcm5080067
14987 visitors, last modified 19 Jun, 2018,