Regularly consumed fish oil protects against mental illness

Regularly consumed fish oil protects against mental illness
A team of researchers lead a study in America and Canada to determine whether dietary omega 3 supplements can help prevent beginning of psychosis and improves clinical symptoms and functional outcome of youth and adults who are at risk of schizophrenia and similar diseases.

Omega 3 is critical for normal brain function and have been studied extensively as potential therapy for medical and psychiatric disorders. A 2010 study suggests that they may prevent the transition from a psychotic status, problematic from a real psychosis. The study shows a difference of 30% risk of progressing to psychosis in vulnerable young people who received fish oil supplements for 12 weeks compared to those receiving placebo. Supplements benefits were maintained for one year. Treatment with omega-3 fatty acids may offer a natural alternative to various medications and therapies used today.
People chosen for the study are patients who presented to the doctor for medication, aged between 12 and 30 years who met diagnostic criteria for a possible prodromal syndrome: daily show similar symptoms of psychosis. These individuals had abnormal thoughts troubled him, limited social skills and school problems. Psychosis is frequently preceded by attenuated positive symptoms, between 25-30% of these individuals progressing to psychosis.

Patients received fish oil capsules twice daily for 12 weeks, with a total daily dose of 740 mg icosapentanoic acid combined with 400 mg of docosahexaenoic acid and were followed for 18 months. It is hoped that by the end of the study the rate of conversion to psychosis in prodromal patients who received omega-3 fatty acids to be significantly lower than in those who received placebo. Results will appear in 2 years.