Pharmaceutical grade fish oil is a rich source of omega 3 essential fatty acids. These essential fatty acids are vital for mental health as the brain is composed of approximately 60% fat after excluding water content. A lack of these omega 3 essential fatty acids has been found to contribute to depression, attention deficit as well as being linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Kenneth J Bender, in his article on "Dietary Fatty Acids Essential for Mental Health" which was published in the Psychiatric Times (http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/article/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=185301274) quotes Cott, "'Epidemiological studies in various countries and in the United States in the last century suggest that decreased omega-3 fatty acid consumption correlates with increasing rates of depression,' Cott wrote in the initial proposal of the workshop. 'There is evidence that deficiency of long-chain, omega 3 polyunsaturate may contribute to symptoms of schizophrenia, alcoholism, multiple sclerosis and postpartum depression. Adequate long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid [LC-PUFA], particularly docosahexaenoic acid [DHA], may reduce the development of depression and schizophrenia just as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may reduce coronary artery disease.'"
Malcolm Peet of the University of Sheffield also describes studies showing the benefits that omega 3 essential fatty acids can have on schizophrenia, including patients who have been resistant to other treatment. DHA in particular was found to be good with antipsychotic medication. Pharmaceutical grade fish oil is high in DHA and EPA omega 3 fatty acids.
Pharmaceutical grade fish oil is also beneficial for bipolar disorder. Much research has been done to investigate the mood stabilizing effects of omega 3 essential fatty acids on patients with bipolar disorder. Andrew Stoll says that "Biochemical studies of human white blood cells show that high-dose therapy with omega-3 fatty acids leads to the incorporation of these polyunsaturated compounds into the membrane phospholipids crucial for cell signaling." (Stoll, AL, Severus, WE, Freeman, MP, et al. 1999 Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder. A preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry 56(5): 407-412)
Pharmaceutical grade fish oil and omega 3 essential fatty acids have also been found to be helpful in depression. The modern diet is very deficient in these omega 3 essential fatty acids compared to the last century. As our diets have decreased in omega 3 the incidence of depression has increased. In addition studies have been done showing that EPA, one of the omega 3 oils found in pharmaceutical grade fish oil, is useful in treating depressive patients.
Pharmaceutical grade fish oil including the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are essential for proper brain functioning and normal mental health. Their use in treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression has proved useful and although more studies are still being done anyone suffering from these disorders would do well to supplement their diets with pharmaceutical grade fish oil.
Glossary:
Schizophrenia: "A severe mental disorder characterized by some, but not necessarily all, of the following features: emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions and hallucinations" (dictionary.com)
Bipolar disorder: mental disorder characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression.