Depression is a disease that affects millions of people everyday.  It can be a very detrimental, debilitating illness that can cause suffering in ones day to day life.  Depression affects everything from your mood to your ability to concentrate properly.  While there are many drugs available on the market to combat this disease an often overlooked treatment option involves using omega-3 for depression.

Depression Statistics and Symptoms

Researchers are unsure of the exact cause of depression.  It is thought to be due to a chemical imbalance in your brain as a result of a combination of genetic and environmental (such as stress or trauma) factors.  Many of those who suffer from depression are also prone to have anxiety attacks as well.  The illness also weakens the immune system and makes one susceptible to physical disorders.      

The following factors is thought to play a role in the development of depression:
-alcohol or drug abuse
-certain medical conditions
-sleeping problems
-stressful life events

Nealy 13 million people experience a depressive disorder with only 20% of those seeking adequate treatment.  In the United States, nearly 16% of the population or 35 million Americans suffer from severe depression.  

Omega 3 Fatty Acid

Omega 3 fatty acid is called an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid.  It is ‘essential’ because it is not synthesized in our body and must be obtained through diet and supplementation.  Omega 3 can commonly be found in foods such as fish, flax seed, and some nuts.  Unfortunately, in recent decades our diets have moved away from omega 3 rich foods.  The ratio of fats from fish and wild plants compared to those from animals and vegetable oil sources has gone from 1:1 to something like 1:10.  

Omega 3 fatty acid plays a very important role in brain health.  The result of not having enough omega 3 in our diet may have led to the sharp rise in the rates of depression in recent decades.  

Omega 3 for Depression

The fact that populations that eat more fish per capita - Japan (147 pounds a year), Iceland (225 pounds per year) - have low rates of season affective disorder (SAD) make omega 3 fatty acids a strong choice as an alternative or supplemental treatment for depression.  Omega 3 has been shown in studies to be effective for people with mild depression.  It uses a mechanism of action different from antidepressants, which means utilizing both treatments fights depression on two fronts.  

How much omega 3 is effective to fight depression?  Researchers have shown that 1 to 2 grams a day of supplements led to a measurable reduction in major depression.  It has also been revealed that women who develop postpartum depression tend to have an omega 3 deficiency.  This is important to note because antidepressants can be harmful to the fetus and child (through breast-feeding).  Omega 3 may provide a safe alternative to such treatment.  

Omega 3 for depression is still a relatively new idea.  It does not have the same extensive studies of other treatments, but looks to be very promising as a natural alternative.  

Diabetes is a growing concern not only in the United States, but worldwide as well. In the United States, it is one of the nations fastest growing health threats and the seventh leading cause of death. 285 million people or 6.4% of the world's population are diabetic. Diabetes is a dangerous condition because those who are diabetic are prone to a variety of other ailments. This includes:

• 2 to 4 times higher risk of heart disease and stroke.
  
  
• 75% of adults with diabetes have high blood pressure.
  
  
• 60-70% of people with diabetes have nerve-artery damage.
  

Diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, used to only be associated with those above a certain age. For this reason type 2 is often refereed to as adult onset diabetes. Things have become more complicated, though, with more and more cases of people under 20 years of age developing the disease. In the United States, approximately 215,000 young people were diagnosed with the disease.

The rise in type 2 diabetes around the world can be attributed to our poor diets and our lifestyle choices. The rise of obesity goes hand in hand with the growing occurrence of the disease. Diabetes not only takes its tole on the individual who has the disease, it also causes a strain on our abilities to take care of the disease from a financial standpoint.

Vitamin E tocotrienols have been shown to combat many of the signs of metabolic syndrome (a group of risk factors that marks a person as a pre-diabetic). Metabolic syndrome includes the following factors:

• low HDL cholesterol
  
  
• high triglycerides
  
  
• high blood pressure
  
  
• high fasting glucose
  
  
• elevated waist circumference
  

Controlling blood pressure

In several studies, Vitamin E tocotrienols have shown to have a possitive effect on lowering blood pressure. In a study of rats, tocotrienols were able to reduce the blood pressure of both normal and hypertensive rats. In a human study, a two month treatment with tocotrienols were able to reduce the systemic blood pressure of those in the trial.

In another study, patients given a combination of both Vitamin E and C also showed a lower blood pressure. Researches determined that this effect was due to the vitamins' ability to (1) improve vasodilation of the blood vessels, thus increasing blood flow, (2) decrease the oxidative stress and improve the total antioxidant status, and (3) decrease the activation of NADPH oxidase (a major player in atherosclerosis).

Reduce triglycerides levels

Triglycerides are a type of fat found in our blood. When you consume more calories than your body can use, triglycerides form and accumulate. A high level of these fats are closely associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. They are an important indicator of pre-diabetes because often times pre-diabetics will show high triglyceride levels way before high sugar levels are detected.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, subjects were given 120mg/day of delta- and gamma-tocotrienols over a two month period. The results showed a 28% drop in triglyceride levels. The Vitamin E group also showed a drease in body mass, body fat percentage, and waist circumference!

Closing Thoughts

Tocotrienols, especially delta- and gamma-, have shown tremendous potential for helping people deal with diabetes. Although more study needs to be done to cement Vitmin E tocotrienols as a major player in the diabetes fight, things are looking promising. For sure nothing will be able to replace exercise and a good diet, but for now it seems that tocotrienols can be a natural alternative to many other diabetes drugs.