Fish for a Better Mood

It’s no surprise that the average Western diet contains an abundance of fat from butter, oils, and processed foods, but there is an essential fat that is lacking: omega-3 fatty acids. This fat is found primarily in flaxseeds, fish, walnuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and soybeans. In addition to not eating enough of this fat, we typically consume too much of omega-6 containing foods such as cooking oils and nuts that end up competing with omega-3 and inhibiting its benefits. This leads to inflammation and its related illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and arthritis. The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be 1:1, but the current consumption is somewhere between 14:1- 20:1

Omega-3 fatty acids are not only beneficial in treating diabetes, obesity, lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, and decreasing heart disease, but they are also shown to have a positive effect on mood and depression.

Studies have researched countries with the highest levels of depression and found a common theme of a lack of omega-3 fatty acids consumption. One study compared different countries' consumption of fish and their incidence of seasonal affective disorder. The study suggested that countries that consumed a higher amount of fish, such as Iceland and Japan, had a much lower rate of seasonal affective disorder than countries with low fish consumption.

They also found that those with depressive symptoms or depressive disorders had significantly lower concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and a higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids than the healthy reference subjects.

Similarly, other studies done on women with postpartum depression found their intakes of seafood during pregnancy to be much lower than those not experiencing postpartum depression.

This is most likely due to the fact that omega-3 as well as omega-6 fatty acids are essential components of cell membranes and the brain's growth and development. Our body’s can’t make them and rely on exogenous sources such as food and supplements.

Of course there are many factors that contribute to depression and I’m certainly not saying if you’re clinically depressed to switch out your meds for a filet of fish. But the all around benefits of consuming omega-3 fatty acids are worth the addition to the diet.

How to incorporate more omega-3 fatty acids in the diet

• Consume fish at least twice a week, especially fatty fish such as salmon and sardines but watch out for fish that is too high in mercury to avoid toxicity. Click on the FDA website for fish with the highest levels of mercury
• Add a tablespoon or two of ground flaxseed to smoothies, breads, baked goods, or oatmeal.
• Replace unhealthy snacks such as chips with walnuts and seeds