Fish oil helps minimise risk of schizophrenia, says study

(Image source from: Fish oil helps minimise risk of schizophrenia)

According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, Australian scientists have found that omega-3 supplements might reduce the long-term risk of progression to the psychotic disorder.

To prove this, the researchers gave three-month course of daily fish oil capsules to a group of subjects aged 13 to 25 with early symptoms of schizophrenia and another group was tested with placebos. One year later, they noticed that 9.8% of the omega-3 group (4 out 41) developed psychosis compared to 40 percent (16 out of 40) in the placebo group.

In addition, the placebo group showed more rapid onset of psychosis and a higher overall incidence of other psychiatric disorders. They said that omega-3 fatty acids are not commonly found in the blood cells of patients with schizophrenia but the situation might be the same for brain cells and thereby fish oil can protect neurons by reducing infection in the brain. The scientists also noted that the study was small scale and needs to be backed by further studies.

By Lizitha