Studies of omega-3 for bipolar disorder have produced mixed results. A new analysis of the collective evidence has found that overall there is strong evidence of a beneficial effect.
After pooling data from 5 independent studies with a total number of some 291 participants it was revealed that omega-3 supplementation as a complement to treatment significantly reduces depressive symptoms. However, while some trials have suggested benefit of omega-3 in mania the pooled data suggested no effect.
“The meta-analytic findings provide strong evidence that bipolar depressive symptoms may be improved by adjunctive use of omega-3” concluded the authors.
Comment:
Some, but not all studies of omega-3 for bipolar have shown benefit, however as this report suggest, the totality of data to date suggests omega-3 may be a useful addition to treatment. Dosages and treatment durations across studies vary considerably, but it has been suggested that a minimum of 1000 mg equivalent of EPA per day would be beneficial.
References:
Sarris J, Mischoulon D, Schweitzer I. Omega-3 for bipolar disorder: meta-analyses of use in mania and bipolar depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2011 Aug 9. [Epub ahead of print]
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