There has been a great deal of publicity that has gone into promoting the health benefits of eating more fish, particularly for heart health, however, many people still aren't aware of why fish can do wonders for both brain function and consequently mental health too.
The truth is, the Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish, particularly fatty fish, are absolutely vital for healthy brain development and for healthy brain function throughout our entire lives, so if we aren't getting enough, this is obviously going to have an impact not just on our ability to process information, but will also have an impact on our emotional and mental health too.
The brain itself is composed mostly of fatty acids and needs Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA for healthy brain development right at the beginning and a regular dose of the Omega 3 fatty acid known as Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA in order for the brain to work properly on an ongoing basis thereafter.
If the brain doesn't get the right type of fats (fuel) in the form of EPA, it won't stop working altogether, it will just use whatever is available and as these 'replacement fatty acids' are not ideal, there's likely to be problems along the way. For some people this may mean nothing more than a few memory lapses or lack of concentration and focus at times but for others the result can be disastrous and a complete breakdown of mental health.
It's really no coincidence that people suffering from anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia and that kids with symptoms of attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other developmental disorders, have all been found to have lower levels of Omega 3 fatty acids in their blood and a higher level of so called replacement fatty acids than people without these conditions.
When we consider this it's not surprising that numerous research studies have shown that supplementation with fish oil high in EPA can improve brain function and significantly reduce the symptoms of mental health conditions and in some cases will bring about a complete recovery of mental health disorders without the use of drugs.
Can't we eat more fish?
Some may believe the answer lies in eating more fish. The problem we have here is that there is a certain amount of fear surrounding fish consumption because although we are encouraged to eat more fish, at the same time we are being warned about the dangers of eating too much due to the toxins they contain.
Over the past few decades we have been eating less and less fish to the extent that very few people, particularly in the West, are actually getting enough EPA in their diet.
What about vegetable sources of Omega 3?
You can find Omega 3 in vegetable sources too such as walnuts, hemp seed, flax seed, and in dark green leafy vegetables so many people who are aware of how important Omega 3 is are happy to consume it in this form only. However, the kind of Omega 3 in these sources is not EPA or DHA but ALA or Alpha linolenic acid.
In an ideal world our bodies would be able to covert ALA into the more beneficial EPA and DHA and this is what many believe but in practice our ability to do this is severely limited. In truth, we just cannot eat enough of the vegetable sources of Omega 3 to give us enough of the right kinds of essential fatty acids we need to make a difference to our brain and how it functions.
The solution
A daily dose of fish oil has been clinically proven to help reduce the risk of developing many different kinds of mental health problems. Fish oil is perfectly safe to take and an ideal way of giving your brain the right kind of oil it needs to work properly provided you choose one that has been purified and which is concentrated to contain high amounts of EPA.
