Have you ever wondered why have the number of depression cases been rising the world over year after year? It’s not just the US; Singapore, UAE, Japan – you name the country and I can bet their depression case counts are hitting an all time high. And as a direct result of it, the demand for safe and effective depression remedies is rising too at an accompanying rate.
While the names of common antidepressants like Prozac are now known to almost everyone, the question we 
want to answer right now is – are there any benefits that fish oil can provide for actually helping people suffering from this debilitating problem?
Delving into the fish oil depression connection
Studies have shown that the Omega 3 EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexanoic Acid) fatty acids found in fish oil are helpful in relieving depression symptoms. According to a study done over a period of 20 years by the Department of Preventive Medicine at Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, increasing the intake of Omega 3 fats helped in decreasing the risk of depression symptoms in women by upto a staggering 29%.
This included patients who were given either – only DHA, only EPA, or a combination of both omega 3 fats, and in all cases the risk of depression was reduced to a significant extent. This is bound to be welcome news to people looking for natural depression remedies.
DHA and your brain
The numbers speak for themselves – 60% of the human brain is omega 3 fats, and half of that is DHA. This can perhaps explain why DHA helps in preventing a lot of brain related problems like Alzheimer’s disease.
When it comes to depression, multiple studies have shown a link between low levels of Serotonin in the brain and higher risk of depression. Serotonin is also known as the “happy” hormone, due to its property of uplifting the mood and giving a general sense of well being. As a matter of fact, anti depressant drugs work by increasing the Serotonin levels in your brain, which helps to fight off depressing feelings.
A fish oil depression treatment also works in a similar manner – increasing the Serotonin levels in your brain. The BIG difference is – there is no risk of side effects when you take a properly purified omega 3 fish oil. This is a completely risk free way of avoiding depression and also improving your general health.
In contrast, anti depressant medicines can cause a number of side effects like:
- Increased aggression
- Problem in sleeping
- Nausea
- Restlessness
- Sexual dysfunction
- Loss of bone density resulting in Osteoporosis
- Suicidal thoughts
The FDA has actually mandated all anti depressants to carry the warning that they can cause suicidal tendencies in children and young adults as a side effect. This is a serious risk with common depression remedies like Celexa, Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, and Paxil.
You can easily avoid all this by taking a quality fish oil. Depression can indeed by countered by natural means, just include relaxation techniques like meditation and regular exercise in your daily routine, and you will be in a good position to fight off this persistent adversary.
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