Good for Brains, Good for Women

We know it is good for the heart. We hear it is good for the brain. We have been told it is good for women.

The February 2008 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported the outcome of a Canadian clinical trial which found a beneficial effect for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) -- a key component of fish oil -- on middle-aged women suffering from psychological distress.

EPA is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid that occurs in fish oil, which, along with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has been linked with numerous health benefits.

The Study
Dr Michel Lucas and his associates at Laval University in Quebec did a study on 120 women, between 40 and 55 years old, with moderate to severe psychological distress which sometimes occurs during early menopause. Some received 1.05g ethyl-EPA plus 0.15g ethyl-DHA in divided doses, while others received a placebo daily for eight weeks.

A psychological general well-being schedule and a depression scale symptom checklist was done at the start of the study, and at the end of four and eight weeks.

Twenty-four percent of the participants were found to be undergoing depression. Psychological distress symptoms among those who received EPA improved significantly after eight weeks compared to subjects who received the placebo.

Women who received the placebo were likelier to drop out of the study compared with those who received EPA. The researchers noted that the lack of improvement in the placebo group could have increased this likeliness.