New research suggests a link between low levels of omega-3 fatty acids and symptoms of mental illness in early adulthood.
The alarming findings come just days after GB News revealed that the deficiency could be causing an increase in aggression around the world.
A growing body of research suggests that consuming omega-3s may help regulate mood by nourishing the parts of the brain responsible for processing emotions.
Despite the clear benefits to cognitive performance, Brits are not eating enough of the essential nutrients found in oily fish and cheap supplements.
“Less than 5% of children in the UK achieve the recommended basic levels of fish and omega-3 fatty acid intake,” laments Dr Simon Dyall, a nutritional neuroscientist at the University of Roehampton.
“The evidence on brain function shows that even these recommendations are too low. Many children and young people do not eat fish at all or take omega-3 fatty acid supplements. The evidence is more than enough to recommend action now to protect their brains,” he told GB News.
A growing body of research suggests that omega-3 intake may help regulate mood
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The latest study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, tracked blood test results of more than 3,500 participants over a 17-year period.
Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast looked at how blood levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and one particular omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), change over time.
Of all the fats in the brain, the most important is the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which makes up around 40% of brain fat, while another fatty acid, EPA, makes up less than 1%, nutritionist Patrick Holford, who was not involved in the study, told GB News.
Working with researchers from the University of Cambridge and RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the aim was to discover whether and how these variants were associated with the onset of psychotic symptoms in adults aged 24 years.
The researchers followed participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), also known as the “Kids of the ’90s,” from childhood into adulthood.
Fatty acid levels were measured in blood tests taken from participants throughout their lives and at specific ages: 7, 15, 17 and 24 years of age.
The findings revealed that people who had consistently higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids compared to omega-3 fatty acids in their blood, and consistently lower levels of DHA, experienced more psychosis at age 24 than those who maintained average levels over the same period.
Psychotic experiences can include delusional thoughts or hearing sounds that other people cannot hear.
Additionally, these participants also exhibited more pronounced negative symptoms of psychosis, including loss of interest in activities, emotional flattening, and social withdrawal.
David Mongan, academic clinical lecturer at Queen’s University, said: “This first study is important as it suggests that optimising fatty acid status during key stages of development, whether through diet or supplementation, warrants further investigation in relation to reducing psychotic symptoms in early adulthood.”
Dr Ben Perry, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, added: “We found an intriguing association between a higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in childhood and adolescence and increased experience of psychosis in adulthood.”
“We don’t yet know why this is the case, but we also don’t believe people should be concerned by the findings.”
“Omega-6 fatty acids, as part of a balanced diet, are an important nutrient and we don’t advise people to eliminate them from their diet. We hope that future studies will explore this possible link between diet and mental health in more detail.”
Professor David Cotter, Professor of Molecular Psychiatry at RCSI, said: “Building on previous research, these findings advance our understanding of the important link between fatty acids and later mental health, and in particular how an imbalance of omega-6 to omega-3 may increase the risk of subsequent psychotic experiences.”
Low omega-3 intake may be linked to increased aggression and violence worldwideAdobe FireflyWhat are the best sources of Omega-3 and Omega-6?
Foods high in omega-3 include certain fish and seafood, some vegetable oils, nuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and high-fat plant foods such as Brussels sprouts.
Omega-6 fatty acids are found in sunflower oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, and corn oil.
Or, in Holford’s words, “Omega-6 fats are highest in hot-climate foods like sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, while omega-3 fats are highest in cool-climate foods such as green leafy vegetables like cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts, as well as cool-climate nuts and seeds like walnuts, flax and chia seeds.”
The best sources of the omega-3s EPA and DHA, he says, are fish that swim in cooler waters and are higher on the food chain, such as those with teeth that eat other fish.
For those who can afford it, nutritionists say the food with the most DHA is caviar — literal “caviar” for the brain.
Fish oil supplements, which sell for 7p a tablet, also contain a combination of EPA and DHA, says Holford.
