Feeling nervy? According to data, as many as 40 percent of adults suffer the negative health effects of stress, which includes headaches, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems, depression and anxiety. A possible way to lower your stress naturally is by taking a high concentration of omega 3. Omega 3s work by lowering inflammation in the body. One of the molecules in omega 3 is called eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and it mediates immune-inflammatory responses that are linked to stress and depression, increasing blood flow to the brain.
Backed by science Don’t believe it? A randomised double-blind, placebo controlled trial* conducted at Ohio State University, and supported in part by the National Instituted of Health (NIH), investigated the effects of omega 3 supplementation on anxiety in healthy young adults. Blood samples were taken from 68 medical students during low stress periods and during the days leading up to an exam. The students received either OmegaBrite omega-3 supplements (five tablets in total, containing 2085mg EPA and 348mg DHA) or placebo capsules containing a proportion of fatty acids representative of a typical diet. After 12 weeks, the students who had taken OmegaBrite had reduced levels of inflammatory markers and had a 20 percent reduction in anxiety symptoms. In all participants, increasing omega 3 levels in the blood resulted in lower anxiety. This study reported that omega 3 was able to reduce inflammation and anxiety even in young healthy adults. This trial was the first piece of evidence that omega 3 supplementation can reduce anxiety and stress, and OmegaBrite became the first omega-3 clinically shown to reduce stress in a normal population.
Boost your mood If you’re after a mood booster, omega 3s may be able to influence mood by lowering stress. In a study investigating the effects of omega 3 supplementation on cognition, mood and stress, 72 healthy young adults consumed either 2800mg of omega-rich fish oil or the same amount of olive oil daily for 35 days. Mood and cognition was measured before supplementation and after supplementation following a stress inducing task or a non-stressful control task. In the group who received the olive oil supplement, anger and confusion increased with stress, while in the fish oil group, anger and confusion remained stable.
Natural remedy Can’t get enough fatty acids from your diet alone? Supplementation could help. OmegaBrite, a natural and high concentration of omega 3, was developed by Dr. Carol Locke while on faculty at Harvard Medical School nearly twenty years ago. OmegaBrite is 90 percent pure and has a specific 7:1 EPA to DHA ratio. It will provide you with 70 percent EPA, which will help dial down on inflammation in the body and other symptoms of stress. £26.99 for 60 capsules from Omegabrite.uk
*OmegaBrite did not pay for or influence the trial in any way but were instead approached by the Ohio State for products
