The main cause of anxiety is stress that can translate into a feeling of fear, uneasiness and worry.
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological problem that millions, if not billions of people suffer from each day.
While there are different levels of anxiety, some people will develop bad habits like excessive nail biting or continual jitteriness. In other more serious cases, anxiety can turn into heart palpitations, chest pain, muscle weakness, nausea, a weakened immune system and a weakened digestive system.
There have been many tests conducted to find ways to ease anxiety, and many of them have been connected to levels of omega 3 (from fish oil) in the body.
Omega 3 from fish oil, more than other sources like flax seed, seem to work better for some people due to the higher rate of absorption in the body.
Fish Oil Benefits For Anxiety Sufferers
As many may already know, fish oil is an excellent source of essential fatty acids (EFA) like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
These are the main EFAs that the human body requires for good cell growth and function, which is on top of other benefits for a healthy mind and body.
The main essential fatty acid that’s helpful for those who suffer from anxiety is EPA. In most of the studies regarding omega 3 fatty acids, it was EPA that was largely responsible for having a positive effect for brain function, development and cell regulation.
It has been tested on people who suffer from many psychological disorders like anxiety, depression, Schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s. While there are many studies that are left inconclusive for the more serious disorders, there are very promising results for those who suffer from anxiety and depression.
Fish Oil Dosage For Anxiety
Although fish oil fatty acids are not known to completely eliminate symptoms from anxiety, many tests have shown they greatly reduce the level of anxiety a person may feel.
There is also a direct effect on the symptoms associated with anxiety, which are in many cases completely eliminated as long as the levels of EPA are stable. For many subjects who took part in the studies, there were significant results from increasing their levels of EFAs, and also a recurrence of anxiety when they stopped taking supplements.
Due to the fact that each person who suffers from anxiety will have a different level of stress and symptoms, it’s difficult to create a standard dosage amount for fish oil supplements.
While the average healthy adult has a recommendation of around 500mg to 800mg of EPA per day, some anxiety sufferers may need in excess of 3000+mg of EPA from fish oil each day.
Consulting a doctor to get an accurate dosage amount would be the best route to take, especially if there are other body needs that could benefit from omega 3 fatty acids.
Fish Oil vs Medication
There are many different types of medication available for anxiety and depression and while they do offer a break from the stress and symptoms associated with them, there are also other risks that are involved for the body.
Taking fish oil through an omega 3 increase in diet or from supplements can be a much healthier way to treat anxiety, especially since they offer many other benefits for the cardiovascular system, heart function and brain development.
Quick Warning On Fresh Fish
But you do need to be careful if getting your omega 3 consumption just from fresh fish. Although this is a great source of the beneficial oils, nowadays it is sadly also a source of toxins.
The levels of mercury in fish oil (and other toxins and heavy metals) is now such a concern that Government advice is NOT to consume more than 2 servings a week of fresh oily fish.
This is one of the main reasons I now choose to take fish oil capsules instead to ensure I get my daily dose of omega 3 oils. I use this high quality brand because they start with cleaner fish oils, but then also use molecular filtration to remove all traces of toxic metals.