Omega 3 fish oil for anxiety
There are studies showing that using high doses of omega-3 fish oil for anxiety actually works really well. Of course, using fish oil is not only beneficial for reducing anxiety but it’s great for health in general…
…in particular mental and cardiovascular health.
For a good brand that contains only pure fish oil and no extra added vitamins you can
click here to check the price on Amazon
…Let’s dive a little deeper:
Our brain is made up of fat and water
Fish oil is important for the development of the brain and is also vital for keeping the brain healthy throughout life. The brain is the “fattiest” organ in our entire body and it’s composed of approximately 60% fat…
…fat and water is the two most important substances for our brains and, if we want to take good care of it, those two should never get neglected.
Did you know that there are more than 30,000 studies exploring the various benefits of omega-3, especially for inflammation, heart and brain health!?
Here are what studies have shown omega 3 fish oil to be beneficial for:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Improve eye health
- Improve risk factors for cardiovascular disease
- Reduce symptoms of ADHD
- Reduce inflammation
- Helps with autoimmune disease
- Fight mental decline and Alzheimer’s
- May help reduce risk of developing cancer
- Has been shown to reduce asthma
- Improves Joint health
- Improves skin
Why is fish oil good for anxiety and depression?
There might be numerous reasons why omega 3 fish oil is good for anxiety and depression and one of those is probably because of the fact that omega 3’s are anti inflammatory. New research shows that mental issues, such as anxiety or depression, often (not always though) is nothing more than inflammation of the brain.
A three week study where participants where given 7,2 grams of fish oil per day showed a clear reduction in stress responses. They tested the participants with a stress test before the three weeks…
…the same stress test was done after the three weeks, of a diet supplemented with omega 3 fatty acids, and now the stimulation from mental stress showed a significantly blunted release of plasma adrenaline, cortisol and other stress responses compared to three weeks before.
Experts are still not exactly sure how fish oil works for reducing symptoms of depression. A combination of the anti inflammatory effects on the brain and because of the serotonin receptor targeting effects, that fish oil has, is thought to be behind most of the benefits however…
…whatever the reasons behind it is, studies do show that taking fish oil supplements dramatically reduces anxiety as well as depressive symptoms in those who are suffering form depression, and other mood issues. One study showed effects comparable to those of SSRI’s and other prescription drugs. This is using higher than “normal” doses however and, as we point out in the video, of you are going to try it, make sure that you are using a “clean” fish oil with no added vitamins.
Using Omega-3 Fish Oil For Anxiety… Exactly HOW Should I Test If It Works For me?
I recommend that you buy 1000mg capsules and not the 500 mg or 250 mg. As you know 1000mg is 1 gram and this makes it easier with less pills to swallow. Omega 3’s can be found in almost every grocery store around the planet but make sure you are getting a high quality brand…
…personally I recommend Nu U Nutrition on Amazon, which gives you a lot of fish oil for a cheap price and with a very good quality. The problem with many other fish oil brands is that the oil easily becomes rancid, due to it being handled correctly is quite difficult…
…and if we are eating bad fish oil we are actually hurting us more than gaining any benefits from it.
How I take it:
Personally I take 2-3 capsules (1000mg) in the morning and 2-3 capsules before bed time. For me this works pretty well and I do notice an increase in mood as well as reduced anxiety levels. However…
…I want to point out that with this the effects are not fast acting, as in, take 3 capsules and feel relaxed after 30 minutes… no! the effects becomes noticeable after taking those high doses for a few days. It builds up, probably as the brain inflammation gets better day by day.
- Start with 1000 mg per day for one week.
Don’t feel any better?…
- Increase to 2000 mg the next week.
Feel better? Great! If not…
- Keep adding 1000 mg per week until you feel better
…however I would not recommend going higher than 5000mg per day. In my opinion there is no need to go as high as they did in the 7,2 gram study and, if you do, it probably should only be short term.
Why can’t I just eat a lot of real fish?
Well you can!
Eating fish is healthy and something we should be doing anyway but getting the doses of the omega 3’s we are talking about in this blog post would require us eating 3-5 servings of salmon daily. I don’t know about you but I would not be able to do that for long without getting sick and tired of eating it. I don’t even want to try. However, if you are on a keto diet, and only eat meat and fat, and want to give it at try ,well, by all means go for it…
…for 99% of people though… I think using an omega 3 supplement is the easiest and best way to go =)
What about safety and side effects?
Disclaimer:
The general rule is to always ask your doctor before trying out any supplements and especially if you are gong to try a higher dose. Anything up to 3000 mg a day is considered to be very safe and if you are going to do a higher dose than that I recommend speaking to your doctor first.
He can also monitor your health during your experiment…
…that said:
The European Food Safety Authority writes that there are no problems with safety even if consuming up to 5000 mg (5 grams) per day at least short term.
People with disorders related to bleeding, or who take blooding-thinning drugs like “coumadin” should be a bit cautious when supplementing with fish oils. Taking more than 3000 mg per day may increase the risk of bleeding.
Some side effects that have been noted from consuming high dose fish oil
- A fishy taste in the mouth (this happens more often if the quality is not that good)
- Fishy breath
- Stomach upset (also depends on the quality of the fish oil)
- Loose stools
- Nausea
- Allergic reactions (this can happen to people who have allergies or sensitivities to fish)
Remember that we are all individuals and even though many people report that using fish oil for anxiety works really well for them, that may not be the case for you. The only way to know for sure is to try it out for yourself…
…personally, I have found it to work pretty well but it’s not a miracle cure for me. It does not work as effectively as my favorite anxiety supplement Provanax, for example. But fish oil is a very healthy and cheap tool for reducing anxiety so it’s certainly worth a try. If you try it, remember to keep going for a few days before you evaluate because you might not feel the effects right away.
What other benefits have I noticed?…other than using fish oil for anxiety that is?
Well, other than reduced anxiety levels from fish oil I also notice a more stable mood when I am on an “omega 3 regimen”. I also notice the skin in my face becomes a bit better. Other than that I can’t say I have noticed any benefits…perhaps a slight reduction in joint pain…
…but then again I would like to think that I am already in pretty good shape physically so, well quite frankly, I don’t think I have much to “improve” or “fix”. I’m sure I will get more “issues” as I grow older though =)
For a good fish oil that contains only pure fish oil and no extra added vitamins you can
click here to check the price on Amazon
Thanks for reading the blog post “Using omega 3 fish oil for anxiety and stress”.
-Bob Castle-