Healthy Nutrition
Lack of Omega 3’s May Make You More Aggressive
Nobody doubts the benefits of omega 3’s on heart health anymore. But these important fatty acids also affect mood and behavior. New research shows that low levels of omega-3 fatty acid can make both depressive and aggressive disorders worse.
Depression and aggression are frequently found together. The common factor may be a low level of serotonin. It’s well established that omega 3 supplementation may improve depression. Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism wanted to see if omega 3’s might have a positive effect on aggressive behavior as well.
They examined dozens of studies. “In human adults and children, clinical studies suggest that supplementation with omega 3 fatty acids may reduce aggressive, impulsive and depressive behaviors,” they write.
This only adds to previous research, which has demonstrated:
- Hostility and depression scores were reduced by a high fish diet over the course of five years.
- Greater seafood consumption is associated with lower scores on a test of hostility.
- A greater number of behavior problems, temper tantrums and sleep problems occur in 6-12 year old boys with lower total omega-3 fatty acid concentrations.
You can get plenty of the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA by eating fish a few times a week or by taking fish oil capsules. Flax and flaxseeds don’t provide EPA and DHA, but they do provide alpha linolenic acid. This also has health benefits. A good over-the-counter brand is Barlean’s Forti-Flax or Barlean’s Flaxseed Oil.
[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He's a board certified nutrition specialist with a Master's degree in psychology. Dr. Bowden is also a life coach, motivational speaker, former personal trainer and author of the award-winning book, Living the Low Carb Life. For more information, click here.]
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Tags: aggression, depression, mood disorders, omega 3 fatty acids, serotonin
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