Omega-3 fatty acids and depression in adolescents

Imbalances or deficiencies in essential fatty acids which are critical brain components can contribute to depression and neurological disorders. A study just published online in the journal Acta Pædiatrica delineates the decisive difference they make in adolescents. The authors set out to...

"...study the relationship between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) status and depression in adolescents with eating disorders (ED) and weight loss."

They measured essential fatty acids (FA) in the red blood cell membranes of 217 adolescents with eating disorders. As the clinicians reading this know, erythrocyte fatty acids also reflect the fatty acid status of the brain. The study subjects were also examined for depression by clinical interviews and psychological self-report instruments. A clear-cut picture emerged from the data:

"Adolescents with ED and depression did not differ from those with ED only in terms of age, BMI, weight loss and duration of disease. In their FA profile depressed adolescents had lower proportions of eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), the end products of the ω3 PUFA series. The ratio of long chain (>18 carbons) ω6/ω3 PUFA was therefore higher in depressed adolescents. Indices of desaturase activites did not differ between depressed and not depressed adolescents."

In other words, the only difference among the factors examined in this study between the adolescents with and without depression  was their essential fatty acid status. Thus the authors conclude:

"Low ω3 status is related to depression in adolescents with ED. This cannot be explained by differences in weight (loss) and duration of disease, nor by differences in PUFA processing by desaturases. Data suggest a lower dietary intake of ω3 PUFA in those with depression. Further investigations should determine whether ω3 PUFA status improves by refeeding only or whether supplementation with PUFA is warranted."

See also the Parents' Guide To Brain Health for additional evidence of the role of fatty acids, along with information on the other important aspects.