Omega 3 fatty acids may be beneficial for more than just the heart. Research at the Indiana University School of Medicine disclosed at a molecular level a potential therapeutic benefit between these dietary supplements, alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorders.
Omega 3 fatty acids were given to mice with bipolar disorder. The fatty acid DHA, one of the main active ingredients in fish oil, “normalized their behavior,” according to Alexander B. Nicolas, MD, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and the lead author of the study.
“The mice that were given DHA normalized their behavior, they are not depressed and when subjected to stress they do not become manic,” said Dr. Niculescu. “When we looked into their brains, using comprehensive gene expression studies, we were surprised to see that genes that are known targets of psychiatric medications were modulated and normalized by DHA.”
An unexpected finding of the research was the discovery that the mice given DHA also showed a reduced desire for alcohol.
“These bipolar mice, like some bipolar patients, love alcohol. The mice on DHA drank much less; it curtailed their alcohol abusive behavior,” Niculescu said. To verify this finding, the researchers studied another well-established animal model of alcoholism and obtained similar results.
“We believe a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids may help the treatment and prevention of bipolar disorder, and may help with alcoholism as well,” he said.
