Fish Oil And Schizophrenia: Supplement May Prevent Psychosis

Health experts can't seem to make up their minds about fish oil. Some nutritionists say you're wasting your money on an omega-3 fish oil supplement when previous studies have suggested that it may be beneficial for heart health.

A recent study published in Nature Communications shows that taking this supplement could potentially reduce the risk of certain mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and psychosis.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia evaluated 81 subjects from 13 to 25 who had higher risks of acquiring a mental disorder. They were asked to consume either fish oil capsules or placebo capsules.

Seven years later, researchers revisited the subjects. At that point, only 71 remained as part of the study. Findings revealed that 10 percent who had received the fish oil capsules had developed psychosis or schizophrenia while 40 percent of those taking the placebo capsule had been diagnosed with mental issues.

However, researchers also caution that as this study was based on a small trial, the results will need to be reproduced, according to David Taylor of the Maudsley Hospital in London.

As symptoms of schizophrenia typically can range from early to late 20s (and may differ depending on gender), ranging from delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, abnormal motor behavior and other issues, only about a third of patients develop psychosis--a complete disconnection from reality.

Antipsychotics to prevent schizophrenia and other serious mental disorders when symptoms may start to originate oftentimes include harsh side-effects. While weight gain is among the more common, tardive dyskinesia (TD)--a disorder characterized by involuntary movements most often affecting the mouth, tongue and lips, as well as the trunk in some cases and other parts of the body--has been found to occur in roughly 15 to 20 percent of patients who have been receiving some of the older medications.

Researchers are hopeful that one day fish oil supplements could help protect the brain from some inflammation commonly seen in certain mental illnesses without the nasty side-effects of some preventative medications.

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