Feeling stressed? Do you tend to drink coffee when stressed? How about taking a fish oil supplement instead? Recent studies show that omega-3 oils, found mainly in fish oil, reduce anxiety and stress-related inflammation.
Written by Jessica Patella, ND, from Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 2011.
Feeling stressed? Do you tend to drink coffee when stressed? How about taking a fish oil supplement instead? Recent studies show that omega-3 oils, found mainly in fish oil, reduce anxiety and stress-related inflammation.
The study included 68 medical students aged 21–29 (38 men and 30 women), randomly divided into two groups:
The omega-3 group received 2.496 grams of omega-3 daily (EPA 2085 mg, DHA 348 mg).
The control group received placebo containing palm, olive and soybean oils and cocoa butter.
Blood was sampled at baseline during low stress, three days before a major examination and twice during moderate stress between examinations. The final sample was taken about three months after supplementation began. Interleukin-6 and TNF-alpha, which rise during infection, were measured. Depression and anxiety questionnaires were completed at every visit.
By the fourth visit, three weeks after supplementation began, blood EPA and DHA had risen by 600% and 50%, respectively, in the omega-3 group and remained at those levels until study completion. No change was seen with placebo.
After three months,
The omega-3 students showed a significant 14% reduction in the infection markers interleukin-6 and TNF-alpha compared with controls. Anxiety was also 20% lower than in the control group.
This is the first randomized study showing that omega-3 supplementation reduces anxiety symptoms without an anxiety disorder. This matters because earlier research showed that anxiety and depression increase markers of infection, which may lead to chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and joint diseases.
In conclusion,
Omega-3 supplementation reduced infection markers and anxiety in medical students. The results were observed in a healthy population, suggesting that omega-3 may also provide important benefits for healthy people.