The researchers also found that 24-year-olds with psychotic disorder had lower levels of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid typically found in oily fish or dietary supplements, than 24-year-olds without psychotic disorder. In a group of over 2,700 individuals who were tracked over time, adolescents with higher levels of DHA at age 17 were 56% less likely to develop psychotic disorder seven years later at age 24.
4 Likes
One question.
Is there three main ingredients in fish oil? I’ve read somewhere that companies removes it and it’s fitness related?
EPA,DHA,___?
There are apparently 11 different types of omega 3s. But in fish the primary ones are DHA and EPA. In plants, it’s ALA.
In the study, they measured only total omega 3, total omega 6 (considered “bad” if you have too much relative to the omega 3) and DHA was also measured separately.
Children were interviewed and provided blood samples at two sampling periods when approximately 17 and 24 years old. Plasma PUFA measures (total omega-6 [n-6], total omega-3 [n-3], n-6:n-3 ratio and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] percentage of total fatty acids) were assessed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between standardised PUFA measures and three mental disorders (psychotic disorder, moderate/severe depressive disorder and generalised anxiety disorder [GAD]) were measured by logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index and cigarette smoking.
At age 24, the n-6:n-3 ratio was positively associated with psychotic disorder, depressive disorder and GAD, while DHA was inversely associated with psychotic disorder. In longitudinal analyses, there was evidence of an inverse association between DHA at age 17 and incident psychotic disorder at age 24 (adjusted odds ratio 0.44, 95% confidence interval 0.22–0.87)
They found associations between both; the ratios of omega 6 to omega 3, and lower levels of DHA. The finding on the lower levels of DHA suggests that you might possibly need that higher level by 17 in order to prevent or delay psychosis in some cases.
More on the ratio of Omega 3 and 6:
A healthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids appears to be between 1-to-1 and 4-to-1 but studies suggest that people who follow a typical Western diet may consume a ratio of between 15-to-1 and almost 17-to-1.
The single most important thing you can do to reduce your omega-6 intake is avoid processed seed and vegetable oils that are high in omega-6, as well as the processed foods that contain them.
The vegetable oils highest in omega 6 are sunflower, corn, soybean and cottonseed oils.
Coconut and butterfat are low in omega 6 oils.
That’s the omega 6 side of the ratio you want to reduce, to increase the other side, the omega 3, you want to eat more fish like salmon, mackerel and sardine, and more things like walnuts, chia and flaxseed, and consider an omega 3 supplement.
I’ve been taking Omega 3 capsules two or three times a day for at least 15 years now mainly for my mood and my arthritis and it does help those two things. I don’t know about psychosis.
3 Likes
Omega 3 has really helped my chronic dry eyes. My optician recommended it and it totally worked
1 Like
Should I purchase an in-expensive capsules? Let say 20$-30$ each bottle?
I’m considering getting vegan algal omega 3.
There’s this cool brand.
It’s called together health. Omega 3.
1 Like
There’s a website called lab door dot com (I think) that has evaluated many brands to see if they really have the amount of omega 3 they say they do, or close to it. It isn’t always the most expensive ones that are the best.
I think another website that did evaluations and posted them publically was consumer labs dot com. Or maybe they had a free trial to see what the content was, I don’t remember.
The ones I have been using are Omega Via and Life Extension but I haven’t checked up on their content in the last year. Omegavia is available on Amazon (US) for under $30 a bottle for a 1-2 months supply (depending on the dose you take).