Regular Intake of Fish Oil Helps Fight Mental Disorders

According to a ConsumerLabs.com online survey, fish oil supplements have become more popular than other supplements and multi-vitamins. It contains Omega 3 fatty acids, which have been said to keep hearts healthy.

Specialists also believe the fatty acids in fish oil reduce the risks of a stroke and getting cancer. Now there is a new research that claims it may be even more beneficial.

The Archives of General Psychiatry study, which was authored by researchers with the Orygen Youth Research Center in Australia and the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, revealed that Omega 3 might combat schizophrenia, a major mental illness commonly diagnosed in young adults and teens.

The recent study showed that a 22% decrease of psychotic breaks was observed in a group of people provided with fish oil supplements compared to another group, who were given coconut oil.

It also had a study involving 81 people who had a predisposition for psychosis. The research, which was placebo-controlled, gave fish oil supplements to half of the patients for 12 weeks, with the other half given placebo supplements. After the period, 11 patients in the placebo group developed mental disorders while only two in the group given fish oil did.

With these significant results, researchers deem that fish oil can help stabilize the chemicals brain cells use to communicate.