Fish Consumption May Lower Depression Risk

If you're depressed, just eat some fish? Wait a minute. That doesn't sound right...

Yet a new study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health shows that a little omega-3 fatty acids certainly won't do you any harm if you're down in the dumps.

A team of Chinese researchers from the Medical College of Qingdao University in Sandong, China, analyzed 26 studies that involved 150,000 individuals, showing that there was a 17 percent reduction in the risk of depression among those scarfing down the most fish.

Why? It have something to do with those fatty acids and boosting beneficial brain activity, researchers say, preventing depression, particularly among young people. Furthermore, omega-three fatty acids can alter serotonin and dopamine activity--two vital brain chemicals that are well-known to have an impact on both mood and depression.

"Higher fish consumption may be beneficial in the primary prevention of depression," Professor Dongfeng Zhang, said via Live Science. "Future studies are needed to further investigate whether this association varies according to the type of fish."

The study results, however, did not lead to any definite conclusions at this time regarding cause and effect as to why eating fish can lead to improved mental health--just various theories. 

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