The Powers of Omega 3s for Mental Health

Omega 3s: Known for the stories of fishy burps (though this isn’t always the case).

Omega 3s are notorious for good reason as they are essential for good health.  The western dietary patterns prevent us from getting an adequate amount through our food intake.

Our brains LOVE fat, as it can help mediate our immune cells and increase the production and influence of hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain.

Omega 3s are not consumed as much as they used to be, as our diets aren’t the same.  This is believed to be one of the reasons there are higher levels of chronic diseases today.

So what are omega-3s?

Fatty acids come in all shapes and sizes.  There are two main categories which include saturated and unsaturated fats.  Unsaturated fatty acids can be broken down into monounsaturated (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated (PUFAs).  *saying mufa and pufa’s always makes me smile. *

The main type of PUFAs are omega 3s and omega 6s.  Omega 6s are over consumed in our culture because they are found in meats, poultry, and seed oils like corn and sunflower.

Focus: swapping out some of the omega-6s to get more omega-3s like our ancestors did.

Three of the omega 3 fatty acids are particularly important for our health.

These three include

• Alpha linolenic acid (ALA) – essential fatty acid
• Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – biologically active fatty acid
• Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – another biologically active fatty acid

ALA is Essential

I mean it! It’s literally essential for our health because our bodies can’t create it, so we have to consume it.  ALA is needed for the building blocks of EPA and DHA.

EPA and DHA are the forms that are beneficial for health, but we need ALA to create them.  EPA and DHA are the ACTIVE forms of omega 3s.

The nice thing is that ALA is a plant-based omega 3 and is found in flax, hemp, and chia seeds.  You can find it in walnuts, olive, canola, and soy oil.  But because its plant based it requires a higher level of enzymatic activity to create and it’s not the most efficient process.  ALA converted to EPA is only about 8% efficient while DHA is only 1%.

EPA and DHA are found in seafood, especially oily fish, and algae. Algae is a great vegetarian source. Fish have algae in them which makes them a great storage for extra EPA and DHA.  *high five fish*.

Now that you know all of this very useful practical information, let me help you understand how it actually applies to us.

The Health Benefits

Omega 3s and anti-inflammation

Inflammation is bad right?  We know Tom Brady won’t eat tomatoes due to them being “inflammatory”.  Instead of avoiding all tomatoes there are other ways to decrease inflammation.

Inflammatory diseases are increasing in rates and numbers.

Everything from allergies, arthritis, autoimmune diseases and mood disorders are linked to inflammation.  Though these are the most well-known diseases there are many others that have inflammatory components.

High inflammatory diets have high levels of omega 6s compared to omega 3s.  The higher amount of omega 6s we have in our bodies the higher the production of certain inflammatory molecules are.

Studies have shown that omega 3 supplementation reduce inflammation.  A review of 30 studies showed that it can help with pain of rheumatoid arthritis.

But how do omega 3s reduce inflammation? 

Omega 3s produce certain anti-inflammatory molecules such as prostaglandins and resolvins that fight off inflammation.  They also reduce enzymes that create the inflammatory molecules.  Omega 3s also incorporate themselves into the membranes of immune cells and decrease their inflammatory response.

Omega 3s and the brain

Our brains are about 60% fat when water is taken out.  DHA is the main fatty acid in the grey matter of our brain.  DHA is an abundant component of the membranes of nerve cells and help insulate the electrical signals, stabilize their membranes, and can reduce inflammation.  That’s why DHA is so important during pregnancy.  Problems with eye sight have been linked to low levels too.

Recent studies found positive effects on cognition and the connectivity in the brain for young children who consumed higher amounts of DHA in infancy.

Omega 3s can also help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and people who have Alzheimer’s disease show lower levels of DHA in their blood.

Omega 3s and Mental Health

There was a recent study that looked at undergraduate students who supplemented their diets with omega 3s.  It was a double-blind study which compared the omega 3s to a placebo.  The people who had higher levels of omega 3s felt less depressed and anxious.

There have been mild to moderate benefits even when compared to antidepressant medications.  Though higher quality studies are needed.

A study that looked at aggression and omega 3 supplementation showed positive benefits.  After 6 weeks, aggressiveness significantly decreased.  This was also a double-blind randomized study comparing a placebo.

There are many links between mental health and inflammation.  Even when looking at antidepressant medications that have anti-inflammatory properties have shown to help with mood disorders.

It’s believed that omega 3s effects aren’t just due to the anti-inflammatory processes. they also can help impaired functioning of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.

EPA can reduce the production and release of stress hormones.

How To Get More Omega 3s

Supplementation is always an option. Please speak to your healthcare professional about changing your supplement regimen.

If you’d like to consume more of it in your diet, there are options.

These options includes

• Flax Seed (best plant based source)
• Canola, walnuts and soy are about 10% ALA.
• At least, 2 servings of fatty fish each week.
• Fatty fish is salmon, mackerel, herring, and even sardines.
• Some baked goods, pasta, dairy, eggs, and dressings have been fortified with fish oil.

Recommendations

Americans are only consuming about 1.3 servings of fish a week which is why more is recommended.  WHO has been pushing increased consumption of fish for over 20 years now.

It’s recommended that adults get at least 0.5-1.6 grams per day of combined EPA and DHA.

If you decide supplementation is needed if you can’t supplement with enough fatty fish, flax seeds, and algae, make sure to talk to your healthcare professional.

Tip: Refrigerate your fish oil. It prevents faster degradation of the fish oil.  Don’t worry here’s a recommendation of a fish oil that doesn’t have the fishy burps.  I use this one and I adore it.

If you purchase, I will get a small amount in return at no extra cost to you.

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Talk soon XOXO,
Sarah