A must read - New panic Info

[Scaredtoolong]

Omega-3 Lessens the Body's Overreaction to Stress

It appears that DHA and EPA -- the essential fatty acids that come from Omega-3 -- may lessen the body's overreaction to stress. This is wonderful news for people that suffer from stress overload, anxiety and depression!

DHA and EPA appear to act as mood stabilizers. This may explain why increasing consumption of Omega-3 has been associated with a less intense reaction to stress.

Most recently, in a small study in France1 researchers decided to study how adding large amounts of Omega-3 to diet might affect the response to stress. They exposed volunteers to a mental stressor while measuring stress indicators such as levels of the brain chemicals epinephrine and cortisol, energy levels, and more.

Then they tested again after three weeks of adding large amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids to the volunteers' diets.

The results were that the increase in Omega-3 lessened the level of brain chemicals, energy levels, and other stress indicators in the volunteers.

The researchers concluded that supplementing the diet with Omega-3 inhibits the fight or flight response triggered by mental stress.

This is good news for anxiety sufferers. It appears that Omega-3 calms the body's fight or flight response and the long list of physical anxiety symptoms" you experience when the false alarm goes off. It brings your body's reaction to mental stress down a notch or two.
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I found this info on a website. Hope everyone finds it useful.


p.s. I have had two really good days in now. I honestly have to say that this site has beeb a GOD send. This condition can be beat! Thanks again to everyone here. Your support has been a life-saver for me.
Susan

[Meg]

Hi Susan ,

Many thanks for this.

Some people swear by a salmon diet when anxious or depressed and I certainly noticed a difference when taking nutritional supplements.

I'm thrilled you've had 2 good days- Keep it going and if you do have a few bad moments do NOT allow yourself to think that it's all coming back again. It's just a few difficult moments - keep realistic !! Keep those thoughts positive .




Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[nomorepanic]

Hi Susan

I am going to collate some of this info and post it on the website - perhaps i could do a new page on remedies etc.

Glad that you have found the site to help - please hang around and post some more



Nicola

[diana]

Hiya Susan,

Congratulations on you good days, keep up the good work! I know its hard and a daily chore, but like you said this can be beat!!!!!! [^].
I`ve been checking on line for this Omega-3. It seems that there are many items available, is there a particular miligram or brand I should be looking for? It sounds great, also I wonder if there is a warning on taking other medications with it. Or is there any medications we should stay away from taking this? I know these are alot of questions :), but I really would like to try it. Maybe there is information on the website you got this information from. One other thing is this something we want to include in our daily diet ongoing, or just for times of feeling stressful and anxious? I would appreciate it if you could give me some guidance through this, or share some more information on this product.

Take good care,

Diana :)

[Meg]

Here's another article which talks of doses.
Please do check your source of vitamins etc. Do not assume that as they're a high street store they'll be from good quality stock. Ask opinions from local independent shops. I use www.quest-vitamins.co.uk

Meg

For the last decade, researchers and alternative medicine practitioners have been exploring a new, natural way to treat those suffering from depression and other psychiatric disorders. And what they've found is that improving your mood could be as simple as making minor adjustments to your diet.
One lead researcher, Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, chief of the outpatient clinic at the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Bethesda, Md., published a study in 1998 in the journal The Lancet that showed a connection between countries that consume large amounts of fish and low rates of depression. On the other hand, countries where people did not eat a lot of fish had significantly higher rates of depression.

This study led other researchers to wonder whether the polyunsaturated fats known as omega-3 fatty acids found in fish could be the reason for the difference.

Dr. Andrew Stoll, director of the psychopharmacology research laboratory at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., conducted a study that focused specifically on patients with bipolar disorder. Half of the subjects were given fish oil tablets and the other half were given a placebo.

After four months, "half of the placebo cases had already relapsed into depression, where as only two out of the 15 fish-oil patients had gotten sick, and that was a huge difference," says Stoll.

The significance of these two studies sparked additional research over the last couple of years that have shown similarly promising results on the ability of omega-3 fatty acids to relieve depression.

Getting Enough Omega-3

While additional research needs to be done to prove definitively omega-3s' impact on different psychiatric disorders, some psychiatrists are now feeling confident enough to recommend that their depressed patients increase their consumption of these fatty acids. So, what are the best sources for omega-3s, and how much is needed to make a difference?

The best source for omega-3s is any type of seafood — including salmon, lobster and shrimp. For people who find seafood a bit fishy, walnuts and olive oil are also good sources for the fatty acid.

"People should not fall below 650 milligrams [of omega-3] per day," says Hibbeln. "A 100-gram serving of fish on average is going to contain about a gram or 1,000 milligrams of omega-3. So, 650 milligrams is about a serving of fish every other day."

However, for most people it may be unrealistic, or unappealing, to eat fish every other day. For those people, doctors recommend fish oil supplements that can be found in any health-food or nutrition store.

Additional Effects of Eating More Fish

In addition to the possibility of relieving depression, omega-3s have proven to be important in cardiovascular health. Numerous studies led the American Heart Association two years ago to make a recommendation that consuming two to three servings of fish per week could provide significant cardiovascular benefit.

Omega-3s have also proved promising in preliminary results for the prevention and treatment of certain cancers, including colon cancer, and with inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

In addition, pregnant and breast-feeding mothers are encouraged to get enough omega-3 to help the development of their babies' brains. However, some predatory fish like tuna, swordfish and shark may be dangerous to pregnant mothers due to the high levels of mercury. So, sticking with fish like salmon is a safer bet for those expecting a child, without the unwanted effects of consuming mercury.

The only reported down side to consuming more of these fatty acids through fish or fish-oil tablets may be an increase in dyspepsia, or indigestion often resulting in gas.

"People may get a little bit of dyspepsia, but if they just start with a l

[diana]

Meg,

Thanks for the information, so you say it is fine to take with antidepressant medication? I do take "Fluoxetine" for OCD`s, and I also take (2) rx medications for Type-2 Diabetes, and Advair 2x`s a day for asthma. You think it is fine to take with these also? Please reply with your suggestions or thoughts. This site has been such a blessing, thanks all for all the good advice.

Cheers,

Diana :)

[Meg]

Diana,

You eat Omega3 some days anyway. It's just a supplement.
However I would advocate to go to Boots (even if you don't buy it there)and speak to the pharmacist and ask them or if you're seeing your doc soon check with them.

Could increase your blood sugars a bit ..



Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[diana]

Thanks Meg, for the information. I will take your advice and check with the pharmacist first. Thanks again for all the good information you all post.

Take care,

Diana :D

[nomorepanic]

Just wanted to thank Meg and Susan for this info as I am now writing my Remedies page so I can add this to it.

Watch out for it on the website soon.

Nicola