Omega-3's and the Effect it has on Serotonin and Dopamine production.

Title: Omega-3 fatty acids in major depressive disorder. A preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Authors: Kuan-Pin Su, Shih-Yi Huang, Chih-Chiang Chiu, Winston W. Shen.

Date: August 2003

Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10638701_Omega-3_fatty_acids_in_major_depressive_disorder_A_preliminary_double-blind_placebo-controlled_trial

Summary: People with depression have been shown to have significantly lowered omega-3 PUFA levels, including EPA and DHA in cell tissue. Communities that consume a higher amount of fish are shown to have lower prevalence of depression. This eight week study was to test if these two facts were merely coincidental or if there is a correlation between omega-3 PUFA levels and depression. Cerebral (brain) cell membranes are composed of PUFAs that can only be obtained from a diet. A lack of these PUFAs can alter membrane micro-structure, which results in abnormal signal transduction (the transmission of signals of the cell's exterior to its interior), and alter neurotransmission.

Twenty-two patients were studied, with twelve receiving omega-3 PUFA supplements, and ten receiving placebos. What the study found is that EPA was responsible for improving schizophrenic symptoms and depressive disorders, and DHA was found to play an important role in functioning of neurotransmitters, including serotonin. In the frontal cortex of rats with low brain concentrations of DHA, there was a 44% increase of serotonin-2A receptor number. This could potentially be a marker of reduced serotonin function. Patients that received omega-3 PUFAs showed lower scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, while the placebo group showed little reduction on their scores. This shows that there is a connection between omega-3 PUFA levels and depression.

Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency can alter serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission, as well as membrane micro-structure. It is hypothesized that omega-3 PUFAs can restore the altered membranes and neurotransmission in patients with depression.