14 DAY TRIAL // Investigators at the Ohio State University (OSU) say that their latests study proves consuming fish oil and other chemicals which contain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is beneficial for combating anxiety and inflammation in healthy individuals.
Thus far, investigations have largely focused on the effects that these chemicals had on ill people, as no one took the time to assess their effects on healthy subjects. This study is among the first to do so.
What the work is suggesting is that dietary supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) could benefit both young people and seniors, as well as those at risk of developing a variety of diseases.
The links between psychological stress and immune response have been under investigation in the international scientific community for more than three decades, which is about the same time that fatty acids have been in the spotlight as well.
In the new paper – published in the latest issue of the esteemed medical journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity – experts provide new data for the debate seeking to establish the role of these fatty acids in the human body. This debate has been going on for more than 30 years.
Omega-3 fatty acids were found to reduce levels of inflammation-promoting compounds called cytokines. Other studies have also revealed that the acids could help reduce depression. The OSU team tested these hypothesis in a study conducted on medical students.
Psychological stress is one of the main engines driving the production of cytokines into full gear. As such, fatty acids could contribute to reducing the nefarious influences that this type of stress has.
“We hypothesized that giving some students omega-3 supplements would decrease their production of proinflammatory cytokines, compared to other students who only received a placebo,” says OSU professor of psychology and psychiatry Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD.
“We thought the omega-3 would reduce the stress-induced increase in cytokines that normally arose from nervousness over the tests,” she goes on to say. During the testes the team conducted, students who got the fatty acid pill were 20 percent less anxious than their counterparts in the control group.
The difference is smaller than experts anticipated, but the team soon realized that the work was tainted by the fact that the students were not stressed in the period during which the study took place.
“These students were not anxious. They weren’t really stressed. They were actually sleeping well throughout this period, so we didn’t get the stress effect we had expected,” Kiecolt-Glaser explains.
“It may be too early to recommend a broad use of omega-3 supplements throughout the public, especially considering the cost and the limited supplies of fish needed to supply the oil. People should just consider increasing their omega-3 through their diet,” Belury concludes.
Martha Belury, PhD, holds an appointment as a professor of human nutrition at OSU, and is also a coauthor of the new study, PsychCentral reports.