Omega-3s May Cut Risk of Postpartum Depression

Study Shows Eating Fatty Fish May Be Helpful in Preventing Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

April 11, 2011 -- Eating fatty fish or other foods rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy may help lower your risk of developing symptoms commonly seen in postpartum depression, a small study suggests.

The findings are slated for presentation at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting in Washington, D.C.

Many new mothers experience the “baby blues” in the first few weeks after delivery. Symptoms of the baby blues, such as mood swings, insomnia, and feeling overwhelmed, are generally not long-lasting.

Postpartum depression is a more serious illness. It has moderate to severe depression symptoms such as sadness and hopelessness, severe mood swings, confusion, guilt, sleeping and eating disturbances, and sometimes thoughts of suicide.

There is a wealth of research linking omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in salmon and other oily fish to improved cardiovascular health. Omega-3 fatty acids are important to the development of a fetus’s neurologic development and growth. In fact, some prenatal vitamins contain omega-3 fatty acids including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

In the new study, 52 pregnant women took either a corn oil placebo pill or a fish oil capsule containing 300 milligrams of DHA for five days a week during the 24th to 40th weeks of their pregnancy. The amount of DHA contained in each capsule is the equivalent of about one-half serving of salmon.

The researchers used a postpartum depression screening scale to determine if the women were showing any signs or symptoms of postpartum depression two weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months after delivery.

Women who received the fish oil supplements scored lower on the scale and had significantly fewer postpartum depression symptoms than those who received the placebo. Women in the fish oil group were also less likely to report anxiety symptoms, the study shows.

But the study was too small to draw any sweeping conclusions about fish oil and risk for postpartum depression.

"DHA consumption during pregnancy -- at levels that are reasonably attained from foods -- has the potential to decrease symptoms of postpartum depression," conclude study researchers led by Michelle Price Judge, PhD, RD, a faculty member at the University of Connecticut School of Nursing.

Most experts agree that omega-3s offer many health benefits but should not be considered a panacea for postpartum depression risk.

“Essential fatty acids including those found in fish may help some women who are at-risk for postpartum depression by bolstering the vesicles that carry mood chemicals such as serotonin in the brain,” says Antolin M. Llorente, PhD, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of neuropsychology at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore.

“Some women have seen positive mood changes after taking these supplements and kept taking them, but from a scientific standpoint, it’s too soon to say what role they have in preventing postpartum depression,” he says.

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Stress and Depression

Can stress cause depression? WebMD looks at the link that exists between the two and helps you de-clutter your life to improve your stress level.

Stress is good for you.  It keeps you alert, motivated and primed to respond to danger.  As anyone who has faced a work deadline or competed in a sport knows, stress mobilizes the body to respond, improving performance. Yet too much stress, or chronic stress may lead to major depression in susceptible people.

"Like email and email spam, a little stress is good but too much is bad; you'll need to shut down and reboot," says Esther Sternberg, MD, a leading stress researcher and the chief of neuroendocrine immunology and behavior at the National Institute of Mental Health. 

Even positive events, such as getting married or beginning a new job, can be stressful and may lead to an episode of major depression. Yet about 10% of people suffer from depression without the trigger of a stressful event. 

Stress -- whether chronic, such as taking care of a parent with Alzheimer's, or acute, such as losing a job or the death of a loved one -- can lead to major depression in susceptible people.  Both types of stress lead to overactivity of the body's stress-response mechanism.  

Sustained or chronic stress, in particular, leads to elevated hormones such as cortisol, the "stress hormone," and reduced serotonin and other neurotransmitters  in the brain, including dopamine,  which has been linked to depression.  When these chemical systems are working normally, they regulate biological processes like sleep, appetite, energy, and sex drive, and permit expression of normal moods and emotions.

When the stress response fails to shut off and reset after a difficult situation has passed, it can lead to depression in susceptible people.

No one in life escapes event-related stress, such as death of a loved one, a job loss, divorce, a natural disaster such as an earthquake, or even a dramatic dip in your 401(k).  A layoff -- an acute stressor -- may lead to chronic stress if a job search is prolonged.   

Loss of any type is a major risk factor for depression.  Grieving is considered a normal, healthy, response to loss, but if it goes on for too long it can trigger a depression.  A serious illness, including depression itself, is considered a chronic stressor.

The connection between stress and depression is complex and circular.  People who are stressed often neglect healthy lifestyle practices. They may smoke, drink more than normal, and neglect regular exercise. "Stress, or being stressed out, leads to behaviors and patterns that in turn can lead to a chronic stress burden and increase the risk of major depression," says Bruce McEwen, PhD, author of The End of Stress as We Know It.

Losing a job is not only a blow to self-esteem, but it results in the loss of social contacts that can buffer against depression.   

Interestingly, many of the changes in the brain during an episode of depression resemble the effects of severe, prolonged, stress.  

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