Hi, I'm Dr Janelle Sinclair.
In today's video we're going to discuss Omega 3 for depression.
I'm going to tell you which omega 3 supplements are effective, and at what dose to take them.
We'll also talk about 3 common mistakes that so many people make, which leads to the omega 3 supplements being ineffective for depression.
You don't want to make those mistakes
If you haven't met me before, I'm Dr Janelle Sinclair, I've got a PhD in biochemistry and
I'm a natural medicine practitioner who specialises in mental health.
And on this YouTube channel, you'll find practical videos discussing effective and safe natural therapies to resolve depression and anxiety.
Make sure that you stick around to the end to find out about other nutritional deficiencies that
can lead to depression- that you'll want to treat.
And if you're new here, consider subscribing
and hit that bell button so that you're notified about our new weekly content.
So let's get into it.
Omega 3 deficiency is common in depression, and studies show that
Omega 3 supplementation can actually be as effective as standard antidepressant medications.
But there is a catch, that you need to take the right Omega 3 supplements at the right dose for it to work.
So let's discuss 3 common mistakes, that I see a lot of people making when it comes to
omega 3 for depression.
Mistake number 1: Taking the wrong form of Omega 3.
There's 3 main omega 3 fatty acids.
Alpha-linolenic acid: this is found in flaxseed oil
Also Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA: this fatty acid is found in fish oil and has anti-inflammatory effects
Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, is the 3rd main Omega 3, its found in fish oil
and is the omega 3 that has the highest concentrations in the brain.
Most people think that because DHA is the highest omega 3 in the brain, that it is the
best omega 3 type for depression.
I even see lots of naturopaths making this mistake.
But studies show that DHA is not effective for depression.
It's actually EPA- with its anti-inflammatory effects, which can reduce depressive symptoms
in half, in as little as 2-6 weeks.
So MISTAKE number 1 is that people are taking DHA for depression.
It is the wrong form.
You must take EPA!
Mistake number 2: Not taking enough Omega 3
Studies show that you need to take between 1,000 and 2000 milligrams of EPA per day to treat depression.
The EPA is more effective if your supplement has only a small amount of DHA.
You should try to get a supplement that has twice as much EPA as DHA.
If you look at a standard fish oil, you'll most likely find that in 1 capsule you have
180mg of EPA, and 120mg of DHA.
To get adequate doses of omega 3 to treat depression you would have to take 8-10 capsules
per day, and even then the DHA would really be too high.
What you need to do, is take a concentrated form of Omega 3.
One that has between 500-600mg of EPA and only 250mg of DHA per capsule.
I've got this information in the description section below the video, so check that out below.
So the mistake that most people are making, is that they aren't taking enough EPA, and
they're taking too much DHA.
So I'd like to know, have you ever taken omega 3 supplements?
And do you think you were taking it in high enough doses?
Let me know in the comment section below, on your mobile phone that will be below all
of the suggested videos. Right at the bottom
Mistake number 3: People think they can get enough Omega 3 from their food to treat depression.
In my opinion this just isn't possible.
To help maintain your omega 3 levels in a healthy person, yes diet can be enough.
But to treat depression- you just can't do it with your food.
Let me explain a little bit more.
Lets assume that you need 2000mg of total EPA and DHA to treat depression.
To keep it simple, let's not worry about the quantity of EPA compared to DHA that we're
getting in the food.
To get 2000mg of EPA and DHA, you'd need to eat 150 grams, that's 5 ounces, of salmon every day.
And if you don't like salmon, or it's too expensive, how about eating tuna.
You only need to eat 850 grams or 30 ounces of canned tuna per day!
It's not very realistic is it, and I don't think you'd want to eat that much tuna.
And the amount of heavy metals that you'd be exposed to if you're eating this much fish just isn't acceptable either.
If you're thinking that you might want to use flaxseed, I wouldn't recommend that at all.
The flaxseed just doesn't have EPA and DHA in it
the body does convert the Omega 3 in flaxseed to these omega 3s but it's very poor at doing that
So if you were to try, you'd need 3-10 tablespoons of flaxseed per day
And because flaxseed has a laxative effect, I don't think you'd want to try that
So do you understand why trying to treat depression by raising your omega 3 levels with diet alone just isn't a good idea
You really need to take omega 3 supplementation
Now I promised you that I'd tell you about some nutritional deficiencies that can lead to depression.
Vitamin D deficiencies are an overlooked cause of depression.
Check out my video on that here.
And also check my video out that discusses 5 common biological causes of depression,
that can be treated naturally.
If you've found this video helpful, like it and share it with a friend.
Thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next video.