Fish Oil as a Treatment or Complementary Treatment for Mental Illness

There have been a number of studies (safe, viable, believable and well-designed) that have looked at whether fish oil is an effective treatment for different types of mental illness. The depth has varied from study to study. Some of the fish oil supplements were combined with other supplements.

When a person gets their fish oil by eating fish, when it is broiled or baked, then it appears to reduce the risk of heart disease. But if you eat fried fish (like in a fish sandwich from McDonald's), there may be a heart disease risk. In other words eating fried fish might cancel out any of the benefits of eating the fish, but also my increase the risk of heart disease.

The following are rated possibly effective by the National Institute of Health (NIH):

Taking fish oil seems to improve thinking skills and behavior in 8 to 12 year old children with ADHD. Taking fish oil with the usual treatments for Bipolar Disorder seems to improve symptoms of depression, and increase the length of time between episodes of depression, but doesn't seem to improve manic symptoms. Taking s fish oil supplement may help prevent full psychotic illness from developing in people with mild symptoms, but has only been tested in teenagers and adults up to age 25. Taking fish oil in combination with evening primrose oil, thyme oil and Vitamin E, seems to improve movement disorders in children with dyspraxia.

There is one report that reports of fish oil improving Schizophrenia in pregnant women.

What is interesting is when you consider fish oil as a treatment/complementary treatment for the problems that are associated with metabolic syndrome, which is a major factor in why people with mental illness are dying 25 years early.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has declared that:

Fish oil is likely effective for heart disease. People who already have heart disease may be able to lower their risk of dying from heart disease by taking fish oil and some researchers believe that fish oil may be even more effective in reducing death from heart attacks than a group of commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs called “statins.”

Fish oil is also likely effective for stroke, weight loss, reducing high blood pressure, kidney damage, cholesterol, and other things. Some of these conditions have been studied singly, and others as parts of combined studies.

There is insufficient evidence regarding depression. Some studies state that fish oil helps, while others state that it doesn't help. Fish oil has been studied as a complementary treatment for medications.

Fish oil in amounts of up to 3 grams is considered safe. Taking fish oil in amounts larger than that is considered to be possibly unsafe, due to the possibility of an increased chance of bleeding, and the chance the blood will not clot well. Also it might reduce immune system activity which may reduce the ability of the body to fight infection (this is important in both the elderly and people with HIV/AIDS). Also taking fish oil supplements may increase bad cholesterol in some people.

Using fish oil with medications that lower blood pressure may cause blood pressure to become too low, so be careful with this combination. Also using fish oil with medications that slow blood clotting may cause bleeding. Let your doctor know when you are using fish oil with either of these types of medications, especially. Make sure your doctor knows not just that you are taking fish oil, but how much. It is important to understand that fish oil may cause the blood to not clot so well. Fish oil is also known to lower the level of Vitamin E in the body.

Each person's situation and need is different. Whatever you choose to do, you should consult with your physician about using or not using fish oil as a treatment or complementary treatment for mental illness.

For those who wish to do more research, see the links below to abstracts from various studies:

Stoll study abstract.

 

Keck study abstract.

 

Frangou study abstract.

 

Sagdouyu study abstract.

 

Osher study abstract.

 

Zanarini study abstract. 

 

Jazaveri study abstract.

 

For additional studies you can google fish oil study or Harvard fish oil study.