{"id":301,"date":"2013-10-08T08:06:34","date_gmt":"2013-10-08T12:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chaneyhealth.com\/healthtips\/?p=301"},"modified":"2013-10-17T17:02:48","modified_gmt":"2013-10-17T21:02:48","slug":"omega-3-fatty-acids-decrease-risk-depression-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chaneyhealth.com\/healthtips\/omega-3-fatty-acids-decrease-risk-depression-women\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Omega-3 Fatty Acids Decrease Risk Of Depression In Women?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do Happy Fish Make Happy Women?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"Woman<\/a>\u00a0<\/b>The days are getting shorter, and those shorter days can lead to depression. You may have seen the recent headlines saying \u201cOmega-3 fatty acids may decrease the risk of depression in women<\/b>\u201d. If you suffer from seasonal depression<\/b>, should you be stocking up on fish oil<\/b> capsules? Let\u2019s look at the study behind the headlines.<\/p>\n

The Theory Behind The Study
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Depression appears to be increasing in modern society. For example, between 1991 and 2002, the prevalence of major depression has more than doubled in the United States from 3.3% to 7.1%.<\/p>\n

There are many causes of depression, but some experts blame the dramatic increase in omega-6 fatty acids in the diet.\u00a0 For example, per capita consumption of soybean oil, much of it in processed foods, has increased 1000-fold during the past century. That\u2019s a concern because omega-6 fatty acids interfere with the body\u2019s ability to convert vegetable sources of omega-3 fatty acids into the longer chain omega-3 fatty acids thought to be effective in reducing depression.<\/p>\n

This has lead to the hypothesis that omega-3 fatty acids in the diet may help prevent depression, and a number of clinical studies have supported that hypothesis.<\/p>\n

How Was The Study Designed?
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The study (M. A. Beydoun et al, J. Nutr., doi: 10.3945\/jn.113.179119, 2013) looked at 1,746 adults age 30-64 living in Baltimore Maryland. The participants were a representative sample of African Americans and whites, men and women. Omega-3 fatty acid intake was based on two 24-hour dietary recalls. Depressive symptoms were based on something called CES-D, which is a 20 item, self-reporting symptom rating scale.
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What Did The Study Actually Show?
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The results were pretty dramatic for women:<\/p>\n