12/12/2018 / By RJ Jhonson
A fairly recent research confirmed what many have suspected about omega-3 fatty acids: They really are good for the brain. This study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology’s Heart Failure, found that people with a high omega-3 index had a much lower risk of cognitive depression than those who had lower levels of the fatty acids.
In the study, 108 participants with chronic heart failure joined one of three groups. Each group took two grams daily of either a 2:1 milligram (mg) EPA/DHA supplement, a high-EPA product, or a placebo for 12 weeks. Over this period, the participants underwent blood testing to assess their omega-3 index, as well as the red blood cell levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two types of omega-3s. The blood tests were performed before and after supplementation.
The researchers determined that those who took the combination of EPA and DHA had the highest omega-3 index. They confirmed that taking the same dosage used in the study could be enough to raise one’s omega-3 index within three months.
The participants took a short survey regarding their general health. This revealed that those participants who had the highest omega-3 index also had the lowest risk and incidence of cognitive depression. Cognitive depression, one type of depression, is characterized by feelings of sadness and pessimism, as opposed to somatic depression that features feelings of fatigue and trouble sleeping.
Bill Harris, Ph.D., one of the authors of the study, said both EPA/DHA and high-EPA supplements had positive benefits that it was unclear which was better than the other. Noting that the dose used in the study was a preventive more than a treatment measure, he recommended using a higher dose, preferably of the EPA-rich supplement, if the goal is to use omega-3s to treat cognitive depression. DHA, he said, may be better for improving general cognition.
“However, linking higher blood levels of omega-3s to improved depression symptoms in people with both depression and heart failure is encouraging and hopefully leads to better treatment for their conditions,” he said.
Increasing your intake of omega-3s is not hard, as long as you include the following foods in your diet:
Learn what omega-3s can do for your heart at brain at Brain.news.
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Tagged Under: brain function, brain health, cardiac problem, depression, depression prevention, DHA, heart health, mental health, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-3s, somatic depression, supplements