A proper balance of fatty acids is essential for healthy cell function, adequate energy, and proper regulation of the body's inflammatory response. Noting that "studies in various countries and in the United
States in the last century suggest that decreased n-3 fatty acid consumption correlates with increasing rates of depression" researchers Hibbeln and Salem at the Laboratory of Membrane Biophysics and Biochemistry suggest that certain fatty acid deficiencies may contribute to depressive symptoms in alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, and post-partum depression.1

They argue that adequate essential and metabolic fatty acids--particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)--may reduce the development of depression. A recent landmark study found that supplementation with fish oil significantly improved the outcomes of patients with manic epression, compared to controls, along with increasing the period of remission.2 These results were achieved after four months of supplementation with the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which were provided in addition to the patients' baseline therapies.

The fatty acids may stabilize mood by "calming" the overstimulated neuronal cell signaling believed to underlie bipolar disorder, the researchers surmised. Patients themselves were enthusiastic about the use of fatty acid therapy, which showed few side effects. "Unusually high patient interest and acceptance of omega-3 fatty acids as mood stabilizers," the researchers reported, "could lead to a greater long-term compliance with treatment, leading to better outcomes for our patients."2

Interestingly, omega-3 involvement in both brain and heart function may explain recent compelling clinical evidence linking major depression to cardiovascular disease.

In a recent letter in the Archives of General Psychiatry, physicians W. Emanuel Severus, M.D., and B. Ahrens, M.D., Ph.D., of Freie University in Berlin, and Andrew Stoll, M.D., of Boston suggest that a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids is the "missing link" that may explain why patients with major depression are at increased risk for both developing and dying from heart disease.3 The physicians cite numerous studies showing that major depression is characterized by specific imbalances of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and their ratios in red blood cells. At the same time, clinical evidence shows that that these fatty acid imbalances also commonly underlie heart arrhythmia, a condition that results in poorer prognosis in cardiovascular disease and myocardial infarctions. Thus, fatty acid imbalance, they assert, constitutes the key pathophysiological mechanism linking disorders of the heart and the mind.

The Essential and Metabolic Fatty Acids Analysis measures levels of 30 important fatty acids, in addition to providing crucial fatty acid ratios, identifying key deficiencies and monitoring effectiveness of supplementation.

References:
1 Hibbeln JR, Salem N Ju. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and depression: when cholesterol does not satisfy. Am J Clin Nutr 1995;62(1):1-9.

2 Stoll AL, Severus E, Freeman MP, Ructer S, Zboyan HA, Diamond E, et al. Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1999;56:407-412.

3 Severus WE. Ahrens B, Stoll A. Omega-3 fatty acids - the missing link? [letter]. Arch Gen Psychiat 1999:56:380-381.

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