Essential Fatty Acid
May Help With Depression
DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) is an essential fatty acid that may help
with depression.
North Americans have some of the lowest DHA levels of any population
on earth, some scientists believe that this is due to the fact that
Americans generally eat less seafood than people in other cultures.
The DHA level of breast milk in Japanese women is estimated to be
about three times that of American women.
Low levels of DHA are linked to insufficient brain and vision development
in infants, Alzheimer's disease, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
and depression.
An article in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition states, "Societies
consuming large amounts of fish and omega-3 fatty acids appear to
have lower rates of major depression." According to one
study cited, North American and European populations exhibited cumulative
rates of depression ten times that of a Taiwanese population that
consumed a diet richer in fresh fish.
DHA supplements include those derived from
fish oil and those from algae. You can find DHA supplements
from each of these sources at most health food stores.
SOURCE: Natural
Health, January-February, 1998. The American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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