Does fish oil improve mood?

Introduction

Fish oil, rich in omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), has been studied for its potential impact on mood. Here, we summarize findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of fish oil supplementation on mood, specifically focusing on studies involving human subjects published in top-tier journals.

Evidence

  1. General Population:

    • Omega-3 fatty acids and stress-induced changes to mood and cognition in healthy individuals: A study involving 72 young adults found that while fish oil stabilized feelings of anger and confusion under stress, it had no significant overall effects on mood or cognitive function in non-stressful situations (Giles et al., 2015).
    • Effect of fish-oil supplementation on mental well-being in older subjects: This study with 302 older adults found no significant impact of EPA+DHA supplementation on measures of mental well-being over 26 weeks (van de Rest et al., 2008).

  2. Specific Populations:

    • Depressed Bipolar Offspring: A trial with depressed adolescents at high risk for bipolar disorder showed that fish oil supplementation improved network organization in the brain but did not significantly reduce depressive symptoms (Li et al., 2021).
    • Ischemic Stroke Patients: A study with stroke patients found no significant effect of fish oil on mood or cardiovascular biomarkers over 12 weeks (Poppitt et al., 2009).
    • Adolescents at High Risk for Bipolar I Disorder: Another study showed that fish oil was not superior to placebo for reducing depressive symptoms in high-risk adolescents but was superior on clinician ratings of global symptom improvement (McNamara et al., 2020).

Conclusion

The current evidence from high-quality RCTs suggests that while fish oil supplementation may have some specific effects on mood stabilization under stress and improve certain clinical ratings, it does not have a broad or consistent impact on overall mood or depressive symptoms across different populations. Further research targeting specific subgroups or longer duration might be necessary to fully understand the potential benefits of fish oil on mood.

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