OMEGA 3 SUPPLEMENTS CAN HELP REDUCE LEVELS OF DEPRESSION

Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in hemp, fish, and flaxseed, yield a number of health benefits including prevention of heart disease. But recent research found that a high dose of omega-3 supplements is not only great for one's physical health but can reduce symptoms of major depression.

Published in Translational Psychiatry, the analysis featured 13 studies with 1,233 participants with depression. Researchers looked at the effects of omega-3 supplements on their symptoms as well as how eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — acids found in fish — had an effect in different doses. The former has been known to decrease levels of the disorder, and results showed that higher doses of EPA greatly reduced symptoms, especially for patients already on antidepressants.

"Omega-3 supplements may be specifically effective in the form of EPA in depressed patients using antidepressants," said the study's lead author Dr. Roel JT Mocking, researcher at the Program For Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in a released statement. "This could be a next step to personalizing the treatment for depression and other disorders."

Related: Can Probiotics Help With Treating Depression

Although the addition of omega-3 supplements isn't a definitive treatment for depression, the study supports the correlation as well as the health benefits of both EPA and DHA omega-3s overall.

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CAN PROBIOTICS HELP WITH TREATING DEPRESSION?

There’s no denying the mind-gut connection, but are probiotics alone enough to treat depression? While mental health is complicated and there’s no quick, easy fix guaranteed to work for everyone, a new study shows a strong link between probiotic use and improved depression symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Here’s what went down: Researchers had people who were depressed and had IBS (real talk: dealing with gut problems on the reg will 100 percent mess with your mood) take either a probiotic every day or a placebo pill. Participants who took the probiotic had fewer stomach problems, and more improved moods than the other group.

Related: 5 Benefits of Probiotics other than Digestion

“This study shows that consumption of a specific probiotic can improve both gut symptoms and psychological issues in IBS,” says gastroenterologist Premysl Bercik, MD, the study’s lead researcher. “This opens new avenues not only for the treatment of patients with functional bowel disorders but also for patients with primary psychiatric diseases.”

Related: Could your Gut health affect your sleep?

Considering that IBS can become self-reinforcing—often people stress that they will experience gut problems, which in turn causes it to actually happen—it’s encouraging that probiotics can serve as a solution to both.

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