This was originally a post about making Omega-3 Fish Oil a part of your arsenal in fighting depression but I thought it important enough to make into a separate page. Omega-3 Fish Oil is part of the foundation on which our anti-depression program is built. It’s easy to do, so read on and get better!

Let’s face it, when you’re depressed everything seems like a chore. Even getting out of bed is hard some days so what can you do that’s easy? The answer is start taking a good multi-vitamin and Omega-3 Fish Oil.

Omega-3 fatty acid is in a lot of foods (primarily fish but also free range chicken, beef, eggs & plants) and your body uses it in building & maintaining efficient brain functioning that help to prevent depression. It also helps your cardiovascular system.

You can think of it as the oil that lubricates the machinery of your brain. It allows the circuitry to work more efficiently which is what prescription drugs for depression do. Now if you’re on a prescription for depression - don’t stop taking it just because you’ve started taking fish oil. Talk to your doctor first before you stop taking anything.

A brief opinion of mine concerning prescription drugs. I recommend seeing a psychiatrist opposed to a general practitioner, internist, etc. as they specialize in the treatment of depression and other mental diseases (read dis - ease, i.e. ‘not at ease’!). Nothing against other doctors it’s just my experience has shown me that psychiatrist know more about depression and its treatment. Makes sense, no?

The three types of Omega-3 fatty acid and what they help -

1. EPA - neuron connectivity (this is the main one we’re concerned with)
2. DHA - brain structure/growth
3. ALA - heart & circulatory system

When you buy your fish oil look for one that has at least 1 gram of fatty acid. The more EPA the better (2:1 ratio of EPA to DHA).

I take 6, 1200 mg. enteric coated Omega-3 fish oil per day. Enteric coating prevents burping up an unpleasant fish taste but you can also buy uncoated capsules and freeze them to prevent burping.

Each 2 capsules contains:

• Total O-3 fatty acids - 720 mg
• EPA - 432 mg
• DHA 288 mg

So here’s a quick break down of what to do:

1. Take Omega-3
2. Add some vitamin E which will help your body digest the Omega-3 supplement.
3. Take a multivitamin.
4. Take B vitamin, primarily B6 and B12, as they have some of the same depression fighting properties as Omega-3 fatty acids.

You can purchase Omega-3 Fish Oil & vitamins at Walgreen’s, Wal-Mart, Osco or any other drug store. You can also buy them online at:

• OmegaRx
• OmegaBrite

Some external links to interesting information about Omega-3:

• Study Links Brain Fatty Acid Levels to Depression
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids Affect Risk Of Depression, Inflammation