Posted by Jaynee on May 8, 2002, at 12:46:24
Personally, I'll skip the can of sardines and wait for the pill. But what bothers me about this is they eat a lot of fish in Norway, but depression rates are still high. There has to be more of a genetic component to it. I have always blamed my anxiety/depression on my Scandinavian genes, those good ol' viking genes. The fact that I absorb to much iron from my diet doesn't help, which is mostly a northern european trait(hemochromatosis). I look like the quintessential viking female, but I hate fish, the cold and I won't go out sailing unless I can see land. Hmmmm......
May 07, 2002 10:45 AM ET
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By Anna PeltolaSTOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Eating fatty fish is already thought to help
cure depression, but a simpler method to treat the illness may soon be
available as pharmaceutical companies plan drugs based on fish acids.An antidepressant drug based on eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acid found in
fish may be on markets in two years, David Horrobin, researcher at the
private-owned British Laxdale Ltd, told journalists at a psychiatrists'
conference.The majority of the human brain consists of fat, but about a fifth of
that fat cannot be formed by the body and people have to get it from
their diet, Horrobin said.Two studies published so far have shown that EPA in a pure form
helped reduce depression in patients who had not earlier responded to
antidepressants or who had initially responded but then seen a
setback."It is surprising how strong the effect is. It is a very big effect
compared with standard antidepressants," Horrobin said, adding two
new studies, soon to be published, showed similar results.Research has shown that fish and seafood consumption correlates with
depression, so populations and individuals who consume much fatty
fish are less prone to depression.This might explain why depression is rare in Far Eastern countries, such
as Japan, where fish is a popular food, and more commonplace in North
European states.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had given researchers a
lot of guidance and the authority was likely to speed up the drug's
entry into the markets, Horrobin said."If the dossier is complete, they (the FDA) could give it fast-track approval," he said.
He said an emerging research theme was the link between depression and heart problems.
EPA and another fat acid, docosahexaenoic (DHA), can also be used to treat and prevent
cardiovascular problems.A drug based on the pure form of fish acids would make it possible to treat patients with
an optimal dose, but a couple of weekly helpings of fatty fish -- such as herring or
sardines -- may also help fight depression, Horrobin said.EPA and DHA acids can also be found in meat and eggs but in small amounts. All green
vegetables, especially flax seeds, have the ingredient, but fish is by far the best source."It really looks like grandma was right, fish is good for your brain," Horrobin said.
poster:Jaynee
thread:105604
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020503/msgs/105604.html