Fish Oil, DHA, and Depression

Fish oil has become really popular in the last few years as a great source of omega-3 fats, which are needed by the human body. However what most people don't know is that there is good information indicating that fish oil may help people with depression, because it is rich in something called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which is a fatty acid that's critical for proper brain function.


Sixty percent of the brain and the nerves are made up of fats, thus they are vitally important for a healthy nervous system. DHA is the primary fatty acid in brain tissue, and a shortage of this fatty acid is associated with mental dysfunction.


While eggs and organ meat have small amounts of DHA, the best food source is seafood, preferably cold water fish like salmon, mackeral, and bluefish. The best form of DHA supplement is fish or krill oil that has been processed to be free of mercury and PCB's. This is referred to as "pharmaceutical grade."

If the purpose of your supplementation of fish oil is improved brain function, then you need a fish oil supplement where there is a high ration of DHA to EPA. Most high grade lines of fish oil supplements make formulations that emphasize DHA content over EPA.

Do yourself a favor and add a quality high DHA content fish oil to your daily nutritional regimen.  Your brain will thank you for it!