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A spoonful of cod liver oil 'can combat depression'
Last updated at 23:52pm on 12.06.07
Cod liver oil could combat depression
It was given to wartime children because its high vitamin content improved their physical health.
Now research suggests that cod liver oil can make another claim - that it staves off depression.
Scientists say a spoonful a day cuts the risk by 30 per cent.
The research is the latest evidence of the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, which are a major constituent of cod liver oil.
Omega-3s are said to boost children's brains, reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack and protect against cancer.
The research into cod liver oil examined the health and dietary habits of almost 22,000 subjects aged 40 and over.
It showed that those who rarely or never consumed it had higher rates of depression, stress or anxiety.
However, the nine per cent who downed a spoonful every day were 30 per cent less likely to be struck down by the blues.
Writing in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the scientists, from Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, said: "Daily cod liver oil users were less likely to have high levels of depression.
"The possible protective effect might be related to the omega-3 fatty acid content in fish."
Oily fish such as trout, salmon and mackerel are rich in omega-3.
Walnuts, flaxseed and canola oil are also good sources.
Some milk, eggs and margarine spreads are enriched with the nutrient, which is also available as a supplement.
Experts recommend that people consume 0.5g of omega-3 a day for optimum health - the equivalent of four meals a week of oily fish.
Most people eat just a fifth of that, with few eating oily fish.
Cod liver oil, which is rich in vitamins A and D, is made by steaming cod livers and pressing them to extract the oil.
It was distributed free to the under-fives, pregnant women and nursing mothers during the Second World War.
Around a fifth of the population are affected by depression at some point in their lives and the prescribing of anti-depressant pills on the Health Service has reached record levels.
A recent report showed GPs in England alone issued 31million prescriptions for anti-depressants last year.
Capable of striking at any age, depression can make it difficult to hold down jobs or carry out normal daily activities.
