Omega-3 fatty acids, present in oily sea fish, can soothe inflammation in the body as well as anxiety in young, healthy people, according to an American study on a group of medical students.
Information on this subject is published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity. The authors of the study – scientists from Ohio State University – do not recommend omega-3 fatty acids to people in the general population.
– It is too early to recommend the widespread use of omega-3 supplements, especially due to their cost and the limited resources of fish that can be a source of these fats. On the other hand, people should try to increase the consumption of omega-3 with their diet – comments Prof. Martha Belury.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), have long been considered compounds with great health benefits. Previous studies have shown, among other things, that a diet rich in these compounds may lower the risk of inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and the risk of depression.
The richest sources of omega-3s are oily sea fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, and seafood herring. Deficiencies of these fats can also be supplemented by taking dietary supplements.
Scientists from the University of Ohio, studied 68 first and second year medical students. Everyone filled out questionnaires about what they had eaten in the past week.
Half of them started on omega-3 pills and half on placebo. According to the researchers, one supplement pill contains 4-5 times the amount of omega-3 found in, for example, a portion of salmon. During the research period, blood samples were taken from students six times, in which the level of two compounds was measured, the so-called cytokines that play an important role in the development of inflammation in the body. These were interleukin-6 (il-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha).
Previous studies have shown that severe mental stress increases the production of these cytokines by immune cells, and therefore contributes to the development of inflammation in tissues. It is a natural immune response that helps your body fight a variety of diseases, including infectious diseases, as well as heal wounds. However, if it lasts too long, it can contribute to the development of serious diseases such as heart disease, cancer, inflammatory joint diseases.
Students were also regularly subjected to psychological tests assessing their levels of stress, anxiety and depression.
It turned out that those who took omega-3 supplements experienced less anxiety (about 20 percent) compared to those who used a placebo.
In addition, it was found in them about 14 percent. lower level of interleukin 6.
The authors of the study believe that since omega-3 supplements produce such good results in young people, the elderly or those at high risk of certain diseases may benefit even more (PAP).