DEPRESSION TREATMENT: OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

More evidence of the beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids on depression was recently reported by researchers in Taiwan. K. P. Su and colleagues conducted an eight-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on 28 patients with major depressive disorder. (Patients also continued their regular treatment regimens during the trial.) The researchers report, "Patients in the omega-3 PUFA group had a significantly decreased score on the 21- item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [compared to] those in the placebo group." (see related articles, Crime Times, 1999, Vol. 5, No. 1, Page 1; and Crime Times, 1999, Vol. 5, No. 1, Page 2.)

"Omega-3 fatty acids in major depressive disorder. A preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled trial," K. P. Su, S. Y. Huong, C. C. Chiu, and W. W. Shen, European Neuropsychopharmacology, Vol. 13, No. 4, August 2003, 267-71. Address: K. P. Su, Department of Psychiatry, China Medical College Hospital, No. 2, Yuh-Der Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan.