Omega 3andmooddisorders
Omega 3andmooddisorders
Omega 3andmooddisorders
This document may be freely downloaded and distributed on condition no change is made to the content.
The information in this document is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis
or treatment. Not to be used for commercial purposes and not to be hosted electronically outside of the
Black Dog Institute website. Updated October 2012.
Fact Sheet
Omega-3 and omega-6 are both metabolised by the same pool of enzymes. Some
of the products of omega-3 metabolism are anti-inflammatory, while the products of
omega-6 metabolism are pro-inflammatory; increased inflammatory processes have
been found to be associated with both depression and other chronic diseases such as
cardiovascular disease
DHA is a major structural component of the brain and the ratio of DHA to omega-6
and other fats in the brain affects the ability of the brain cells to communicate with
each other
This document may be freely downloaded and distributed on condition no change is made to the content.
The information in this document is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis
or treatment. Not to be used for commercial purposes and not to be hosted electronically outside of the
Black Dog Institute website. Updated October 2012.
Fact Sheet
Sources of Omega-3
1. Seafood
Seafood is the richest source of long-chain omega-3. Oily fish such as Anchovies,
Sardines, Mackerel, Herring, Atlantic Salmon, Trout and Swordfish provide greater
concentrations of omega-3.
Note about Contaminants
Some fish contain high levels of methyl-mercury and other contaminants such as
organochlorines - This is particularly the case for large, carnivorous, long living fish
such as swordfish and shark/flake
Consuming large amounts of some fish may therefore lead to the ingestion of
unacceptably high levels of contaminants
To prevent this, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand have proposed the
following guidelines:
Number of different types of fish that can be safely consumed
Pregnant women
and women planning
pregnancy
1 serve = 150g*
1 serve = 75g*
2-3 serves per week of any fish and seafood except Orange
Roughy (Sea Perch), Catfish, Shark (Flake) or Billfish (Swordfish/
Broadbill and Marlin)
OR
1 serve per week of Orange Roughy (Sea Perch) or Catfish and no
other fish that week
Rest of the
population
1 serve = 150g*
2-3 serves per week
of any fish and
seafood except for
Shark (Flake) or
Billfish (Swordfish/
Broadbill and Marlin)
OR
1 serve per week
of Shark (Flake) or
Billfish (Swordfish/
Broadbill and Marlin)
and no other fish
that week
OR
1 serve per fortnight of Shark (Flake) or Billfish (Swordfish/
Broadbill and Marlin) and no other fish that fortnight
* A 150 gram serve for adults and older children is equivalent to approximately two frozen
crumbed fish portions
* A 75 gram serve for children is approximately three fish fingers (Hake or Hoki is used in
fish fingers)
This document may be freely downloaded and distributed on condition no change is made to the content.
The information in this document is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis
or treatment. Not to be used for commercial purposes and not to be hosted electronically outside of the
Black Dog Institute website. Updated October 2012.
Fact Sheet
Canned fish is sold in various sizes for example, the snack size cans of tuna are
approximately 95 grams
2.
Omega-3 Supplements
In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration requires that omega-3
supplements be tested to ensure that they do not exceed the acceptable level of
contaminants
There are numerous over-the counter fish oil supplements available and these are
typically one gram fish oil capsules containing doses of omega-3 ranging from 0.3 to
0.6 grams per capsule. The typical ratio of EPA/DHA is 3/2
Often small amounts of Vitamin E are added to prevent oxidation of omega-3
3.
Supplemented Food
There are a number of omega-3 enriched foods on the market including milk, eggs,
bread and margarine
The nutrition information panel will state how much omega-3 is provided per serve
4.
Vegetarian Sources of Omega-3
Flaxseed, canola, soybean oils, hemp and walnut oils are all rich in ALA, the parent
omega-3 molecule
This can be metabolised into EPA and DHA in the liver but this conversion is limited in
humans and factors such as stress, aging, illness and diet can impair the process
Where to get more information
Owen C, Rees A-M, Parker G (2008). The role of fatty acids in the development
and treatment of mood disorders. Current Opinion in Psychiatry 21:1924
Parker G, Gibson NA, Brotchie H, Heruc G, Rees A-M, Hadzi-Pavlovic D (2006).
Omega-3 fatty acids and mood disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry
163:969978
Rees A-M, Austin M-P, Parker G (2005). Role of omega-3 fatty acids as a
treatment for depression in the perinatal period. Australian and New Zealand
Journal of Psychiatry 39:274280
Black Dog Institute
Hospital Road, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick NSW 2031
(02) 9382 4530 Email: [email protected]
www.blackdoginstitute.org.au
This document may be freely downloaded and distributed on condition no change is made to the content.
The information in this document is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis
or treatment. Not to be used for commercial purposes and not to be hosted electronically outside of the
Black Dog Institute website. Updated October 2012.