Children, Depression: Omega-3 Fatty Acids. The Answer's

A small, double blind, placebo controlled study, published in the American Journal of psychiatry (2006) looked at supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids and its effect on childhood depression.  The subjects of the study were 20 children between the ages of six and 12 suffering with depression.  They were randomly assigned to receive either an omega-3 fatty acid supplement or a placebo.  The children were evaluated using the Children's Depression Rating Scale, the Children's Depression Inventory and the Clinical Global Impression.  Evaluations were taken at the beginning of the stuy and at weeks 2, 4, 8, 12 and 16.  At the end of the study, 70% of the supplemented children showed at least a 50% reduction in depression scores.

Why did this study show such improvement? It's important to understand that Omega-3 fatty acids are extremely important in nerve health and creating hormones that promote decreased depressive thoughts.  The brain happens to be made up of nerves so the omega-3 fatty acid supplement supports the nerve cells and therefore supports more positive thoughts.  

Although this is only one study many others have come to a similar conclusion.  Other studies have instituted adult subjects not only with depression but neuropathies such as seen in diabetes.  For those individuals suffering from diabetic neuropathy simply providing an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid has actually reversed neuropathy.  If a patient comes into the office with numbness in their feet omega-3 fatty acids can and do begin to return the feet back to feeling as normal.  This is a regular occurrence in my office.

After evaluating a patient with neuropathy I recommend a high quality omega-3 fatty acid along with other supplements, such as a B complex, to ensure  that  they are receiving all building blocks that are important for the nerve healing process.  Further I recommend acupuncture as I regulary see the healing process increases significantly when both supplementation and acupuncture are administered.

As I have stated in other entries, it's important to make sure  that the supplement that you are using is of high quality.  If you are taking supplements call the manufacturer and ask 3 questions as these questions will tell you whether the supplement is of high quality.

1. Do you manufacture the supplement in house or do you farm it out.  (If they farm it out they will not be able to answer the remaining questions so I would recommend understanind that the supplement is NOT of high quality)

(If they manufacture in house this is the next questions)  

2. What do you clean your equipment with? (There are over 250 different cleaning chemical agents that the FDA allows for cleaning of supplement equipment such as the vats that the raw material is mixed in.)

If the company answers, 'this is proprietary information'...RUN, RUN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE!  This means that the stuff they are using would be considered very toxic.  The cleaning agent should not leave ANY chemical residue.  Most companies use very toxic chemicals and the FDA allows this practice.

What are good cleaning agents?  WATER and HYDROGEN PEROXIDE!  Neither leave any residue to effect the supplements and attach to the supplements and wreak havoc in your system when you ingset them.

3. Where do you get your raw material for the supplement?  (You should only get 1 of 3 answers they are UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA.)

Why not other places?  Because the quality is abominable.  What about Europe?  Many of the companies that are selling raw material from Europe are getting the material from Asia which is highly suspect.

I hope  this information is very helpful.  If you are wondering about high quality supplements I have throughout the years contacted supplement companies as they pop up to ask the above questions.  I've already done all of the work for you and have found only 2 companies so far that answer all of the questions correctly.  These companies do not sell to the big box stores or drug stores because they are considered therapeutic supplements.  In other words the supplement will be absorbed at 90 or higher percent.  Which in turn makes the nutrients available to the body and supports the cells that need support.  The individual taking this type of supplement sees significant change in health in a very short period of time.  The supplements do such amazing work that often a patient will get their health back  so quickly that they may need to be taken off their medications for a particular disease because the body has returned to health.  This needs to be monitored by a doctor who understands nutrition and supplementation and knows when to refer the patient back to the prescribing doctor to get their drug intake reevaluated.  Due to the supplements quick absorption and the bodies ability to heal quickly they needed to make sure that the person taking their supplement would be monitored properly so they only sell their product to licensed medical professionals.

If you are interested in high quality supplementation and a consultation I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.  Feel free to email me.

Dr. Betts