One of the reasons the nutrition program I recently completed (Institute for Integrative Nutrition at www.IntegrativeNutrition.com) was so great is because it exposed us to such a wide range of historical and current dietary theories, often presented by the founders themselves. This enabled us to develop a healthy skepticism about claims or practices that seemed a bit too extreme, such as Breatharianism (no food or water needed -- just subsist on air and universal energy!). It also enabled us to begin recognizing the threads of consistency that exist across so many dietary theories, even though the details may differ.
One of those commonalities is a recommendation to increase consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, by eating more fatty fish, walnuts, and hemp & flaxseeds, as well as by supplementing with high-quality fish oil. The standard American diet (appropriately referred to as SAD) is rife with omega-6 fatty acids but greatly lacking in the omega-3 type with estimates as high as 99% of Americans being deficient in omega-3's. Today's typical diet contains a ratio of 10-to-1 omega-6 vs. omega-3 fatty acids, compared to our ancestors' ratio of 2- or even 1-to-1. Reasons for this shift include Americans' high consumption of processed & fast food, refined vegetable oils, and animal protein that has been degraded nutritionally by grain feeding and factory farming.
Omega-3 deficiencies are linked to cardiovascular disease development, cancer, arthritis, and mental and emotional problems. You may be aware that many scientists now believe that inflammation at the cellular level is the root cause of virtually all of our major health problems, and many diets now focus on reducing inflammation -- see Dr. Andrew Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid at http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02995/Dr-Weil-Anti-Inflammatory-Food-Pyramid.html for a great example to live by. Dr. Oz of mainstream "Oprah" fame, Dr. Mark Hyman who advocates functional medicine, and many others are also on this bandwagon, fueled by Dr. Barry Sears, who originated the Zone Diet in the mid-90's.
In fact, it was a recent blog by Dr. Barry Sears linking omega-3 deficiency to anxiety and depression (https://mail.google.com/mail/#label/Blog/135100e4d6de1863) that made me want to write about this topic today. He cites studies that credit high-dose fish oil rich in EPA with remarkable results for depressive patients, as well as anxiety reduction among substance abusers. As he writes, "It may be that depression and anxiety are simply two sides of the same coin of increased cellular inflammation in the brain. Even for "normal" individuals, high dose EPA seems to make them happier and better able to handle stress."
So what should you do? Do an experiment! Try eating more fatty fish, walnuts, and perhaps hemp and flaxseed. Purchase a high quality fish oil supplement from Whole Foods or the organic section of your local grocery store. Look for products that are molecularly distilled to be free of mercury, PCB, and other contaminants. Two brands that qualify are Nordic Naturals and Spectrum Essentials (one variety of which also contains Vitamin D). Take 1 to 4 grams (1000-4000 mg) per day and see how you feel. The consensus is that there is no risk to taking high doses of fish oil, unless you are on anti-coagulation drugs or have a blood coagulation disorder. In additional to yourself, give fish oil to your spouse, your children, your friends. And let me know how it goes!
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