Research shows new link between omega-3 and mood

06 March 2006

Heart-friendly omega-3 acids, like those you find in fish, may influence behaviour, state of mind and personality, new research shows.

Researches from the University of Pittsburgh found that volunteers with lower blood levels of omega-3, seemed to be more impulsive, have more negative thoughts and to report mild to moderate symptoms of depressions, according to Intrafish.

Volunteers with higher blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were found to be more easygoing.

- A number of previous studies have linked lower levels of omega-3 to clinically significant conditions such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance-abuse and attention-deficit disorder, according to a statement by Sarah Conklin, a postdoctoral scholar with the psychiatry department’s Cardiovascular Behavioural Medicine Program.

- However, few studies have shown that these relationships occur in healthy adults. This study opens the door for future research looking at what effect increasing omega-3 intake, whether by eating omega-3 rich foods like salmon, or taking fish-oil supplements, has on peoples mood, Conklin says.