So here’s something I thought was interesting – a new study about fish oils and young people with schizophrenia found that taking a daily fish oil supplement may help prevent the development of psychosis and promote better health.
More than 75 participants were given either a placebo (basically a non-effective sugar pill) or a supplement containing 1.2 grams of Omega-3 fish oil (in this case 700mg EPA and 480mg DHA) and the results were pretty amazing!
Among those who received the placebo, 27.5% experienced a psychotic episode during the 12-week trial, but in those taking the fish oil supplement only 4.9% progressed to psychosis. What’s more, the fish oil group experienced reduced symptoms and improved functioning overall.
Hearing this, it’s really no surprise that Omega-3 fish oils are one of the most researched—and most recommended—nutritional supplements. Decades of studies have proven their benefit for heart and brain health, immunity, better digestion and more, but this was the first trial to look at the benefits of fish oil in people with a high risk of developing psychosis, a debilitating condition.
Further studies are planned that will look at the use of fish oil compared to using conventional medications to treat a variety of disorders. Why is this so important? Because a lot of those medications come with adverse side effects that aren’t found in fish oil, and those side effects can be especially harmful in young people.
Just another reason to love your Omegas!!