Friday, October 10, 2008

Omega 3 Fatty Acids for Depression

Fish oil is likely more efficacious than flax oil, I would experiment with the oil that works best for you. You can read my article on “Fish oil vs Flax oil”.

A concentrate of 9.6 grams per day was shown to be effective compared to a placebo in a small pilot trial. Patients on the study were not taken off their current medications. This is one natural therapy you can safely add as an adjunctive to most treatment plans unless you are taking blood thinning medications.

I typically prescribe one tablespoon of Carlson lemon flavored cod liver right before a meal, and yes you can take it in capsules if the thought of drinking fish oil makes you gag.

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DISCLAIMER:

This website is intended for educational purposes only. Read our full disclaimer. Always work with your physician for proper care and supervision. I strictly advise AGAINST combining herbs or natural therapies (aside from vitamins, minerals, or fish oil) with any form of anti-depressants. Although it is occasionally done, most naturopathic physicians, MD’s, and psychiatrists agree that until we have research demonstrating efficacy and safety herbs and natural anti-depressants with similar mechanisms to prescription drugs should not be simultaneously used. Also, although these medicines are “natural” they are still medicines. Please do not choose to discontinue your natural medicines without the advice of your physician, someone should be overseeing your care. Depression is complicated to sort out. Please do not try to do it alone. Someone needs to be documenting your mood fluctuations as well as when you start and stop specific therapies. Never make any changes to your health without first consulting with your physician. Have your physician check for drug interactions, and always be cautious when combining natural medicines and drugs for depression as the life threatening condition "Serotonin Syndrome" may occur. Work directly with a physician in regards to your bi-polar or depression.