Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help Kids with Depression
(NY, Reuters Health, 6/21/06)

Dr. R. H. Belmaker, of Ben Gurion University of the Negev, in Israel, and team, randomly assigned 28 depressed children, aged 6 to 12, to take omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil or a placebo. The investigators gave the children standardized depression tests at the outset and throughout a 16-week period. Based on an analysis of the data from the 20 children who stayed in the study for at least one month, the researchers found that 70% of the participants in the omega-3 group, but none in the placebo group, had reduced depression scores of more than 50%, with no clinically significant side effects. The scientists conclude that omega-3 oils may be an effective treatment for children who suffer from clinical depression.

(American Journal of Psychiatry, June 2006)