Lin PY, Mischoulon D, Freeman MP, et al. Are omega-3 fatty acids antidepressants or just mood-improving agents? The effect depends upon diagnosis, supplement preparation, and severity of depression. Mol Psychiatry. 2012 Dec;17(12):1161-3.
The use of omega-3 fatty acids for depression treatment is of considerable interest, in part due to the inadequate efficacy and tolerability of standard antidepressant medications. Although several meta-analyses have reported positive outcomes for omega-3 fatty acid treatment of depression, an up-to-date meta-analysis by Bloch and Hannestad that includes the latest trials and uses sophisticated meta-regression techniques to account for study heterogeneity, suggests no significant benefit.
