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.
###
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.
###
They are also readily available as over-the-counter supplements and are widely bought and used.
###
The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that omega-3 supplements offer no benefit.
###
“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.
###
“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.
###
For the findings, the research team looked at 31 trials of adults with and without depression or anxiety.
###
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
###
They found that the supplements had little or no effect in preventing depression or anxiety symptoms.
###
“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.
###