Bipolar disorder

...ba href=/bipolar disorder/a/b, attention deficit disorder, and even schizophrenia.

Now new research suggests that omega-3s can have a significant impact on everyone's mental health.

"People in our study who had low blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were more likely to report mild to moderate symptoms of depression, more moodiness, and more impulsivity," says researcher Sarah Conkin, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Conversely, people with higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable, based on the results of standardised tests.

Conkin presented the findings at the 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver.The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fatty fish each week, based on strong evidence that the omega-3 fats found in the fish help protect against cardiovascular disease.

The evidence that omega-3 levels also have an impact on mood disorders is less conclusive but growing, says a researcher who conducted some of the first psychological studies examining the fats.

"It is quite clear that omega-3 fatty acids are good for your heart," says psychiatrist Joseph Hibbeln, MD, of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

"But it remains to be seen how good they are for your mind.

It is an emerging public health question, but we don't yet know the answer." Two types of omega-3 fatty acids are found in fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel - eicosapentaenoic ac...

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