An open-label study in Chinese adolescents with depression investigated the effectiveness of the antidepressant Paxil alone in treating depressive symptoms and the effectiveness of Paxil in combination with an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplement. compared. The results showed that the group taking omega-3 supplements showed more significant improvements in depression symptoms, cognitive function, and memory than the group treated with Paxil alone. This research Affective Disorders Journal.
Omega-3 short-chain fatty acids are a subgroup of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids that provide several health benefits. They are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce the risk of chronic inflammatory conditions such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and certain autoimmune diseases. Alpha-linolenic acid, the most common omega-3 short-chain fatty acid, may play a role in maintaining heart health by lowering blood pressure, reducing triglycerides, and improving cholesterol profiles.
Omega-3 short-chain fatty acids are associated with improved cognitive function, support brain health, and may reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Although the human body can convert alpha-linolenic acid into other short-chain fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), alpha-linolenic acid itself is an essential nutrient. This means it cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from the diet.
Recent studies have shown that EPA and DHA may help improve symptoms of depression. There is reason to believe that these short-chain fatty acids affect systems in the brain that are involved in the development of depression. Studies have also shown that depressed patients have reduced levels of omega-3 acids in their cell membranes. This decrease is more pronounced in people with more severe symptoms of depression.
With this in mind, study author Shuhui Li and his colleagues investigated whether adding omega-3 short chain fatty acids (as a supplement) to the usual treatment for depression would improve the effectiveness of the treatment. I started thinking about it. They conducted an open-label study with a group of 71 adolescents diagnosed with depression and taking Paxil as their main antidepressant.
Paxil is the brand name for the antidepressant paroxetine. It is classified as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and is commonly prescribed to treat depression, but also generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and certain other mental health disorders. Masu. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, including paroxetine, are a type of psychiatric drug that works by increasing the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain and can help alleviate symptoms of mental health disorders.
Study participants were recruited from November 2020 to January 2022 at Wuhu Fourth People's Hospital, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China. Participants were randomly assigned to either take Paxil alone or take an omega-3 supplement derived from fish oil. In addition to Paxil. These treatments lasted 12 weeks. Study authors conducted follow-up assessments every four weeks.
The Paxil dose was 20 mg per day. The omega-3 supplement dose was 3 capsules (2700mg) per day. Of this, 1941 mg was eicosapentaenoic acid and 759 mg was docosahexaenoic acid. This dose was developed in accordance with the International Society for Psychonutrition Research guidelines for omega-3 supplementation in the treatment of depression.
During the study, researchers tracked participants' severity of depression symptoms (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale), cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and memory (Wechsler Memory Scale).
Results showed that depressive symptoms improved in both groups at each follow-up visit compared to the start of the study. However, the improvement was much stronger in the group that took omega-3 supplements compared to the group that took Paxil alone. Complete disappearance of depressive symptoms (remission) occurred more frequently in the group taking omega-3 supplements. Cognitive function and memory also improved in both groups, but the omega-3 supplement group showed stronger improvements.
“This study reveals that omega-3 supplements reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents with mild to moderate depression and expands our understanding of omega-3 supplements as an adjuvant treatment for adolescent depression. Furthermore, this study provides new evidence that omega-3 supplements improve cognitive function and memory,'' the study authors concluded.
This study makes an important contribution to the scientific understanding of the effects of omega-3 short-chain fatty acid intake on symptoms of depression. However, it should be noted that this was an open-label study. This means that participants were aware of the treatment they were receiving. This may have led to bias. Studies using a placebo group may not yield comparable results.
paper, “Omega-3 supplements improve depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and niacin skin flush response in adolescent depression: a randomized controlled clinical trial” authors are Shuhui Li, Rulan Li, Xiawen Hu, Yue Zhang, Dandan Wang, Yan Gao, Jinfeng Wang, Qian Wang, Chuanfu Song, Shucai Huang, En Zhang, Juan Zhang, Zhong Xia, and Chunling Wan.
