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Omega 3 fatty acids tested for improving PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) in humans

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Did you know that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) including, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) found in fish oil and algae oil, is a leading alternative candidate in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

PUFAs are unique to the group of nutrients in the fats/oils category that are associated with health promotion.

First, what happens during PTSD? A quantitative review confirmed that people with PTSD clearly displayed increased heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC), even in the absence of obvious traumatic stimuli. With such an increase in HR, people are at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality.algae oil

How does omega-3 fit into the picture? A few possible mechanisms have been proposed:

  • Omega-3 PUFAs can promote fear-extinction.
  • Omega-3 PUFAs can facilitate extinction of fear memories.
  • Omega-3 PUFAs  can reduce sympathetic nerve activity that plays a pivotal role in the development of PTSD.

A recent study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders evaluated the vital activity omega-3 has to offer in the treatment of PTSD.

 

Here are details of the study:

  • Total of 83 severely accident-injured survivors who were recruited at the intensive care unit (ICU)
  • All participants were instructed to take 300 mg x 7 capsules per day for 12 weeks of omega 3 fatty acids or placebo
  • Daily dose of omega-3’s were 1,470 mg docosahexaenoic acid and 147 mg eicosapentaenoic acid per day)
  • Omega-3 was started within 10 days of the injury.
  • Participants were assessed based on their heart rate during rest and script-driven imagery procedure (listening to a script and imagining the scene as realistically as possible).

Results from the study:

  • After the 12-week supplementation of omega-3 PUFAs reduced heart rate during both resting and imagery periods.

Take away message:  Overall, the heart rate reducing action of omega-3 PUFAs offers potential benefits for those at high risk of PTSD by decreasing the risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality.  It is possible that benefits could be seen with other mental health disorders including depression which often accompany PTSD.

Journal of Affective Disorders. 2016 May 30

Angeline Souvannasing
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Categories: Clinical Trials, Mental Health, Plant Medicine