Omega-3 supplementation could reduce depression

Omega-3 supplementation could reduce depression, according to a recent study led by author Dr RJT Mocking from the Program for Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry at the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam.

Depression affects an estimated 350 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation, while in 2014, an estimated 15.7 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This was recorded by the National Institutes of Mental Health.

The study, which was published in Translational Psychiatry, supported the link between intake of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids and reduction in major depressive disorder (MDD). DHA omega-3 fatty acids are often found in fish.

According to Dr Mocking: "This new meta-analysis nuances earlier research on the importance of long chain omega-3s in MDD."