Benefits of Omega-3 for Bipolar Disorder Still Unclear

There's not enough scientific evidence to determine whether omega-3 fatty acid supplements can help treat people with bipolar disorder, say researchers at the University of Oxford in England.

People with bipolar disorder can shift between mania (elevated mood and energy) and depression. However, the use of omega-3 supplements to treat bipolar disorder is worthy of further study, since they seem to have no serious side effects, and many experts recommend them for people with heart disease and some immune disorders, said study authors Paul Montgomery and Alex Richardson.

They reviewed five studies that examined the use of omega-3 supplements for bipolar disorder, but only one study of 75 patients had enough data on results for Montgomery and Richardson to analyze.

Patients in that study had less severe depression symptoms while taking the supplements, but there was no change in their mania symptoms.

To read more of this content at the Washington Post, click here.

This Supplement Eases Pain and Brightens Moods

With a name like S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine, it hardly sounds like something to cheer you up. But companies that sell this popular dietary supplement say it boosts your mood and eases the aches in your joints. Physicians say it shows promise for treating depression and arthritis, but add that more independent research is needed.

Known as SAMe and pronounced "Sammy," S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine occurs in the body naturally. It is made from the amino acid, methionine, and is believed to be involved in many critical biochemical processes in the body. Scientists say it's an antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory and even helps in the production of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.

As a dietary supplement, SAMe has been increasing in popularity in recent years, according to Pharmavite LLC, a Northridge, Calif., company that began selling it in the U.S. in 1999. Now sold by many companies, SAMe is marketed for improving mood, easing arthritis and even helping some types of liver disease.

To read more of this content at the Wall Street Journal, click here.

Low Testosterone Levels Linked to Depression in Older Men

Researchers have uncovered a link between low free testosterone levels and depression. Their study, which appears in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, shows that older men with abnormally low free testosterone levels, or hypogonadism, were, on average, 271% more likely to display clinically significant signs of depression than men with higher testosterone levels.

To read more of this content on Medscape Medical News here.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Magic Bullet for Bipolar and Depression?

Have we been fishing in all the wrong places for the magic bullet for depression and bipolar? Have scientists been turning a blind eye to a well-known elixir that works well for other diseases and conditions? Ever since psychiatry threw Freud and his couch in the rubbish bin a couple of decades back, the profession has been oriented toward prescription drugs. Now, their focus appears to be widening.

Last year, a Harvard University study generated a buzz throughout the bipolar community with the prospect of a natural substance that worked - fish oil. After years of being bombarded by industrial-strength pharmaceuticals and toxic salts, people with bipolar could possibly look forward to a kinder and gentler treatment. Paradoxically, the evidence is far stronger when it comes to depression, but we're lacking the clinical trials as proof.

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