Omega-3’s Fail to Effect Depression

BRISTOL, England—In a study at the University of Bristol, U.K., the long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) showed a null effect on mood in mild to moderate depression (Br J Nutr. 2008;99(2):421-31). The double blind, randomized control trial supplemented 1.5 g/d of EPA+DHA to 218 mild to moderately depressed individuals for 12 weeks. There was no evidence of a difference between supplemented and placebo groups in the primary outcome. Mean depression score was 8.4 for the EPA+DHA group and 9.6 for the placebo group, with an adjusted difference of - 1.0 (P=0.27). Other measures of mood, mental health and cognitive function, including Beck Depression Inventory score and attentional bias toward threat words, were similarly little affected by the intervention. Researchers concluded, substantially increasing EPA+DHA intake for three months did not have beneficial or harmful effects on mood in mild to moderate depression.