| It is now no secret that people all over the western | | | | not altered during the trial. The results showed that the |
| world are turning to high grade ethyl EPA omega 3 | | | | patients taking EPA showed significant improvement |
| fish oil to treat a number of conditions, but can it really | | | | after only four weeks in all symptoms of depression, |
| work against a problem that knows no boundaries of | | | | when compared to the group who were administered |
| age, race or gender. It is a condition that affects millions | | | | a dummy pill. |
| of people at some time in there lives, it's called | | | | This study was published in the Archives of general |
| depression. | | | | Psychiatry. |
| Depression | | | | Pure Ethyl EPA |
| So can high grade ethyl EPA fish oil help with | | | | Omega 3 fish oil is high in two key compounds DHA |
| depression and low moods, lets take a look at the | | | | and EPA. In both studies mentioned above they used |
| evidence. In one study involving 20 people with | | | | ultra pure ethyl EPA that contained zero DHA. The |
| recurrent depression, researchers studied the effects | | | | reason for this was that they found that the purer the |
| of the specific omega 3 fatty acid known as pure | | | | compound of EPA then the more effective it seemed |
| EPA. | | | | to be. |
| Patients involved in this study randomly received either | | | | The brain has much more DHA than EPA but the |
| the ethyl EPA fish oil capsule or a sugar pill in addition | | | | studies found that EPA is much more important when |
| to the anti depressant medication they were taking. | | | | it comes to responses to nerve stimulation. It appeared |
| After only four weeks, six out of ten patients receiving | | | | that the DHA maybe more important for structure and |
| EPA had significantly reduced symptoms of | | | | the EPA for function. |
| depression. | | | | Blood samples taken from people in the USA, Europe, |
| The leading researcher in this study Boris Nements | | | | Australia and Japan showed that depressed people |
| said " the effect of the fatty acid EPA was significant | | | | have especially low levels of EPA, when compared to |
| from week two of treatment" he also noted that " the | | | | blood samples of people who were not suffering from |
| symptoms of depressed mood, guilt feelings, | | | | low moods or depression. |
| worthlessness and insomnia had all improved by week | | | | The lead researches from the study in Scotland both |
| three." | | | | concluded that EPA is the most important essential |
| This particular study was carried out at the University | | | | fatty acid in the treatment of depression. |
| of the Negev in Israel and was published in the | | | | These findings are backed up with two randomised |
| American journal of psychiatry 2002. | | | | controlled trials from Sheffield and Baylor universities |
| Another very high profile study using the essential fatty | | | | involving DHA only, which showed no improvements in |
| acid pure EPA was carried out in Scotland by doctors | | | | the symptoms of depression. In fact the results were |
| Peet and horribin. This study involved seventy patients | | | | significant and showed the DHA controlled groups to |
| who were suffering from depression that was | | | | be slightly worse than the placebo controlled groups. |
| persisting despite ongoing treatment with standard | | | | Conclusion |
| antidepressant drugs. | | | | People all over the western world are successfully |
| The study lasted twelve weeks, and the background | | | | using pure ethyl EPA without the DHA to treat |
| anti depressant drugs the patients were receiving was | | | | depression and related disorders. |