Omega 3 Fatty Acid Supplementation May Help Reduce Irritability in Bipolar and Other Neurological Disorders.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) may help reduce irritability in patients with bipolar disorder, according to a study published Feb. 9, 2005 in Nutrition Journal, a peer-reviewed, online medical journal. Thirty-seven patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder and seen regularly at a mood disorder clinic were administered one to two grams per day of Omega-3 EFAs and assessed for frequency and severity of irritability. Frequency was measured by percentage of days in which subjects experienced irritability, while severity of irritability, if present, was rated on a Likert Scale of 1 to 4.

Researchers theorized several mechanisms by which Omega-3 EFAs may help with mood, irritability, aggression, etc., all centering on nerve cell membrane stabilization. They speculated that beneficial effects of anti-psychotics, antidepressants, anti-convulsants, and Omega-3 EFA, as related to pain, stroke, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and stress, might be based on common effects on protein kinases, which affect the structure and function of the cell and cell membrane. These changes might help the cell operate within an optimal level of excitation and be reflected in emerging evidence that such therapeutic agents have neuroprotective value.

Based upon the results of the trial, researchers concluded Omega-3 EFA intake helped reduce irritability in bipolar disorder patients with a significant presenting sign of irritability. They also noted that Omega-3 EFAs may help alleviate the irritability component of different clinical conditions including schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder and other psychiatric conditions with a common presenting sign of irritability. Researchers concluded that the optimum effective dose for irritability is one to two grams of EPA plus DHA per day.

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