New clinical trial shows positive results in stopping
or slowing the progression to full psychosis in high risk people

A new clinical trial using Omega-3 fish oil supplements containing EPA and DHA,  for 12 weeks reduced the risk of progression to a full psychosis by 22.6% compared to the placebo.  This was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

G. Paul Amminger of the Medical University of Vienna led the study.

Dr Amminger and his co-workers recruited 76 people at ultra-high risk of progression to psychosis. High-risk was defined as having mild psychotic symptoms, transient psychosis or a family history of psychotic disorders, in combination with a decrease in functioning.  These criteria identify individuals whose risk of becoming psychotic may be as high as 40 percent in a 12-month period.

The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups.  One group received daily fish oil supplements that contained 1.2 grams of omega-3,  and provided 700 mg of EPA and 480 mg of DHA.   The other received a daily coconut oil placebo.

Sandy’s note: Many people are not familiar with the term, “placebo”.  Many people used to call a placebo a “sugar pill” because it is a substance that is not the real thing, but the person using it doesn’t know that.  A  placebo is made to look or feel, or taste, just like the real thing so that the researchers can compare the results of people who got the real thing with people who had no medication at all.  This process is used in testing medicines, nutritional products, personal care products…anything where you want to know if the effect is actually from what you are testing.

After 12 weeks on the trial, 27% of the group receiving the coconut oil placebo had progressed to full psychotic disorder and only 4.9% of the omega-3 group.

The authors stated that ”The finding that […] a natural substance may prevent or at least delay the onset of psychotic disorder gives hope that there may be alternatives to anti-psychotics for the prodromal [early symptomatic] phase”.    They further commented that, “ omega-3 fatty acids may produce changes in cell membranes and interactions with neurotransmitter systems in the brain”.  (Obviously positive changes!)

“Stigmatization and adverse effects – which include metabolic changes, sexual dysfunction and weight gain – associated with the use of antipsychotics are often not acceptable for young people. [However, omega-3s], are free of clinically relevant adverse effects. They have the advantage of excellent tolerability, public acceptance, relatively low costs and benefits for general health,” they concluded.

Sandy’s note: Isn’t it wonderful that there is a natural alternative to help people to prevent mental breakdowns so they don’t have to use drugs with all the unwanted side effects! There is so much evidence showing beneficial effects on the brain and emotions of omega-3 fatty acids that this study just confirms what most of us in the natural nutrition field and those in the Ortho-Molecular Psychiatry fields have realized for a long time.

The link between omega-3 and cognitive function and behaviour is not new, with various studies reporting somewhat conflicting results for the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.

Sandy’s note: most of the studies with conflicting results either used too low a dosage or lower quality fish oil which can give mixed results.  If you click on the omega-3 link, be sure not to sign up for the discount there.  We have a special offer only on this website.

Some of the more promising data has been reported for DHA, with memory function improvements found for healthy older adults with a decline in cognitive function that occurs naturally with age, and known to precede diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

“The present trial strongly suggests that omega-3 PUFAs (Poly-unsaturated fatty acids) may offer a viable prevention and treatment strategy with minimal associated risk in young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis, which should be further explored,” they added.

I hope this helps you understand how important high quality omega3s are to your diet. Please be savvy and do a bit of research to be sure that the company who makes the fish oil you are using or are considering is making absolutely certain that there is no possibility of contamination in the product.  There are some fish oil products that have contaminants in them that can cause high cholesterol and high blood pressure!

Those conditions are some that fish oil should help with, not cause!   If you have any questions or concerns, why don’t you leave me a comment and we can share our thoughts?

Source: Archives of General Psychiatry
2010, Volume 67, Issue 2, Pages 146-154
“Long-Chain omega-3 Fatty Acids for Indicated Prevention of Psychotic Disorders: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial”
Authors: G.P. Amminger, M.R. Schafer, K. Papageorgiou, C.M. Klier, S.M. Cotton, S.M. Harrigan, A. Mackinnon, P.D. McGorry, G.E. Berger

The new study is the first of its kind to show benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in a help-seeking group at ultra-high risk of psychosis, claim the researchers.