Researchers at the University of Illinois recently completed a review of previously published research on antidepressant benefits of Omega-3 essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It turns out, according to the study, DHA alone did not appear to offer any antidepressant benefits, where as patients taking EPA or a combination of EPA and DHA experienced clear antidepressant benefits. “Our analysis clarifies the precise type of Omega-3 fatty acid that is effective for people with depression and explains why previous findings have been contradictory,” said John Davis, research professor at the University of Illinois. “The EPA predominant formulation is necessary for the therapeutic action to occur. The DHA predominant formulation does not have antidepressant efficacy.”
Meanwhile, Jon Getzinger, chief sales and marketing officer for Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC), which is the world’s largest supplier of Omega-3 EPA and DHA ingredients from fish oil, worries many consumers do not completely understand the importance of having EPA and DHA as part of a healthy diet. “It is believed EPA plays a functional role in the brain, while DHA plays a structural role. Consuming DHA alone, which retrogrades poorly to EPA, appears to be insufficient to provide the benefits associated with the combination of EPA and DHA that is found in fish oil. This analysis reinforces our understanding of the complementary roles that both EPA and DHA have in the maintenance of healthy brain function, in addition to the substantial scientific evidence supporting the benefits of heart health.”
