November 17, 2014 — Young people at high risk of developing psychosis benefit from taking Omega 3 supplements, even seven years after taking the capsules, a new study shows.Help
The study gives hope of helping young people suffering from mental illness to stay healthy and functional by taking the fish oil supplements, according to study’s authors.
The findings were presented at International Early Psychosis Conference.
In the study of 81 people, ages 13 to 25, who were followed for seven years, half of participants were randomly assigned to a group that took fish oil capsules for 12 weeks, and the other half were given placebos. From the group taking fish oil supplements, ten percent of young people developed psychosis, compared with 40% who were given placebos.
The investigators believe that this approach, which is both safe and economical, may help keep those with this severe of mental illness more functional, while experiencing fewer episodes or “breaks”. This would, of course, require additional independent and larger studies to confirm their findings.