London: Increased consumption of omega-3 fats is widely promoted globally because of a common belief that it will protect against conditions such as anxiety and depression, but researchers have now found that fish oil supplements have little or no effect on such conditions.

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Omega-3 is a type of fat. Small amounts are essential for good health and can be found in the food that we eat including nuts and seeds and fatty fish, such as salmon.

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They are also readily available as over-the-counter supplements and are widely bought and used.

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The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that omega-3 supplements offer no benefit.

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“This large systematic review included information from many thousands of people over long periods,” said study lead author Lee Hooper, from University of East Anglia in UK.

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“Despite all this information, we don’t see protective effects, the most trustworthy studies consistently showed little or no effect of long-chain omega-3 fats on depression or anxiety, and they should not be encouraged as a treatment,” Hooper added.

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For the findings, the research team looked at 31 trials of adults with and without depression or anxiety.

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More than 41,470 participants were randomised to consume more long-chain omega-3 fats (fish oils), or maintain their usual intake, for at least six months

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They found that the supplements had little or no effect in preventing depression or anxiety symptoms.

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“Oily fish can be a very nutritious food as part of a balanced diet but we found that there is no demonstrable value in people taking omega-3 oil supplements for the prevention or treatment of depression and anxiety,” said study researcher Katherine Deane.

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