Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Mental Health – What’s The Connection?
Omega-3s. I’m sure you’ve heard the term before.
It’s hard to exist in the world of holistic health without coming across them at some point.
I’m Dr. Antonella Aguillera-Ruiz, ND, and my practice focuses on natural solutions to improve your mental health.
That includes naturally managing your anxiety, depression, insomnia, and much more.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a great way to improve your overall health in a number of different ways, but what exactly are they?
And what does the research say about using them to improve your mental health?
Let’s take a closer look.
What Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
Omega-3 fatty acids are, broadly speaking, fat.
In particular, they’re polyunsaturated fats – healthy fats.
They’re considered “essential” fatty acids because your body can’t synthesize them on its own.
That means you can only get them through your diet, just like vitamin D, calcium, and other essential nutrients.
This is unique among fats, since your body can make most of the types of fat it needs from other fats or from carbohydrates.
There are three different types of omega-3 fatty acids.
These are:
Alpha linolenic acid (ALA)
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Each of them has different benefits, and different places to get them in your diet, which we’ll take a look at below.
Benefits Of Omega-3s In Mental Health
Because omega-3 fats play a significant role in brain function, there’s been a keen interest in researching them as a possible treatment for mental health.
First, researchers have looked at what people eat and if they develop a mental health condition.
We’ve seen a few patterns emerge.
It appears as if moderate consumption of fish is associated with a lower prevalence of depression.
Interestingly, it doesn’t seem to be a “more is better” situation - often the highest omega-3 consumers aren’t getting a significant added benefit.
In anxiety, there’s been evidence that eating a higher amount of omega-3 fats versus saturated fat is associated with lower levels of anxiety.
However, the methods used to reach these conclusions weren’t the most effective.
They were based on observational trials and relied heavily on food frequency questionnaires.
This isn’t quite able to tell us if supplementing with omega-3 fats can be beneficial.
For that, we need to look at trials that use it as treatment.
Omega-3s And Depression
As researchers have looked at giving fish oil for depression, there’ve been a variety of challenges that have led to what may look like disappointing results at first glance.
Mainly, as mentioned previously there are different types of omega-3s and it appears as if the dose of EPA and DHA matters.
For example, giving doses higher than 2 grams of EPA does not appear to have benefit.
So, trials that didn’t take this into consideration may show negative results for fish oil.
What’s currently understood and recommended by the most current guideline is that omega-3 fatty acids have robust evidence to be used alongside pharmaceuticals, but not as a standalone therapy.
It’s important that the EPA component be in the range of 1-2 grams.
Interestingly, when we sidestep and look at depression in PCOS, the dose range was similar at 2 grams.
While omega-3 fats are generally considered safe, always check with your healthcare practitioner.
Mild side effects can include stomach upset or fish burps.
Furthermore, omega-3s are a super common self prescribed supplement and as we’re learning type, ratio and dose all matter, so you want to know why you’re taking it and the correct strategy.
For example, higher doses of fish oil (4 grams) may be associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
As a result, it’s important to work with someone who is aware of your whole health picture and can discuss the risks and benefits with you.
Do Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help With Anxiety?
As mentioned previously, we have some data that suggests favoring fish oils in the diet leads to lower levels of anxiety.
But, the research on fish oils and the treatment of anxiety is much more complicated and, honestly, slightly anticlimactic.
In 2018, researchers looked at a whole collection of studies that were reviewing the anti-anxiety benefit of omega-3 fish oils.
In order to be included, the studies had to measure anxiety as a symptom.
This is worth underlining, because it meant the studies included quite a variety of people.
It includes those who:
Have had a heart attack
Have anxiety due to a natural disaster
And others
These were not groups diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) by a psychiatrist or therapist.
However, across all the studies, they reached the following conclusions:
Omega-3s were more effective in people who had a chronic illness diagnosis versus those who were healthy
Meeting a dosage of 2 grams was better than dosing less than 2 grams
Improved anxiety symptoms were more significant with an EPA concentration higher than 60%
While not the most straightforward data,
I do think it highlights the importance of getting a complete picture of someone’s health.
Is their anxiety stemming from the experience of PMS, for example, or another diagnosis?
Those may be the instances that fish oil shines.
Dosing needs to depend on taking into consideration your full health history and balancing, as always, risk and benefit.
What Foods Are High In Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
In general, as mentioned previously, including fish in the diet is beneficial and is part of a healthy eating pattern.
And before supplementing, looking at food sources can be a smart place to start.
If you’re looking to incorporate more omega-3 fatty acids into your diet, there’s are plenty of delicious and nutritious options to explore.
Dietary Sources Of ALA Omega-3s
ALA omega-3s are the only omega-3 fatty acids that come mostly from plant based sources.
While they have health benefits and are an essential part of the diet, they aren’t the focus for brain health.
ALA rich foods include:
Flaxseeds (also high in fiber) and flaxseed oil
Chia seeds
English walnuts
Black walnuts
Hemp seeds
Edamame
There are trace amounts in oysters, lobster, and canned salmon as well, but these are mostly insignificant.
If you’re looking for ways to incorporate more ALA omega-3s into your diet, consider the following recipes:
Dietary Sources Of EPA Omega-3s
When it comes to getting more EPA omega-3s in your diet, the following sources are your best bet.
They’re listed in order of how much EPA you can get from each.
Atlantic herring
Farmed Atlantic salmon
Canned sardines
Atlantic mackerel
Wild caught Atlantic salmon
Rainbow trout
Wild eastern oysters
Canned pink salmon
Sea bass
Shrimp
Lobster
Nori (seaweed)
Wakame (kelp)
There are also trace amounts in tuna, scallops, cod, and chicken breasts.
You may have noticed EPA omega-3s pretty much exclusively come from animal sources.
There are EPA omega-3s in seaweed and kelp, but it’s not enough for most people’s needs.
Your body can also convert ALAs into EPAs, but this process is slow and ineffective.
This becomes a challenge for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
However, you’ll get plenty of EPA if you’re following the Mediterranean diet.
Speaking of which, here are a couple of Mediterranean diet inspired recipes you can use to get more EPA in your life.
Dietary Sources Of DHA Omega-3s
DHA omega-3s are mostly found in the same foods you get EPAs from, but in different amounts.
Here’s a list, in order from most to least DHA.
Wild caught Atlantic salmon
Atlantic herring
Canned sardines
Canned pink salmon
Atlantic mackerel
Rainbow trout
Sea bass
Wild caught eastern oysters
Canned tuna
Shrimp
Nori (seaweed)
Wakame (kelp)
There’s also trace amounts in lobster, tilapia, scallops, codfish, eggs, and chicken breasts.
The amount of DHA in seaweed and kelp is comparable to EPA, so this particular omega-3 presents the same challenges for vegetarians and vegans.
If you’re following such a diet, you’ll likely have to rely on supplementing to meet your needs.
What Does Omega-3 Deficiency Look Like?
While we don’t have an established cut off level of EPA or DHA to diagnose a deficiency, there are symptoms that can indicate someone is low in these essential fatty acids.
Mainly, rough, scaly skin and dermatitis.
There are certain groups where we may suspect deficiency because dietary intake is low or impaired.
For example, people who are vegan, those with an eating disorder, or with fat malabsorption.
Can You Overdose On Omega-3s?
In general, fish oils are considered to be safe.
Still, the package insert of omega-3 pharmaceuticals will urge caution and monitoring with certain medications, specifically warfarin or coumadin therapy.
However, the studies that looked at increased bleeding time with omega-3 fatty acids, found that they were not clinically significant.
Still worth noting, is the association with atrial fibrillation and higher dose fish oil over an extended period of time.
Book Your Appointment With Wild Lemon Health Today
The world of nutrition and wellness is increasingly recognizing the significance of omega-3 fatty acids.
At Wild Lemon Health, we are committed to guiding you on a path to better health.
To take the first step towards a healthier you, we invite you to book a free 15 minute introductory appointment.
During this consultation, we’ll discuss your goals and how a naturopathic approach can help you improve your whole body health.
