Post-Partum Depression and Omega-3s? Really?

Omega-3 Week continues with a nifty little arena that I’ll bet most of you have never even considered when it comes to the health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids… post-partum depression.

Actually, there’s a number of pregnancy issues that respond to Omega-3s, but I’m going to limit the discussion for today to post-partum depression in the interests of not creating a 47-page long post.

Okay, so how in the heck do Omega-3 supplements help with post-partum depression?  Well, first we have to talk a little bit about the importance of Essential Fatty Acids(EFAs) in the development of the fetus.

Remember, EFAs are called “essential” because we have to get them in our diet-we can’t make them ourselves.  The major EFAs are called Omega-6 and Omega-3.  Omega-6s aren’t usually a problem, because we eat tons of Omega-6 filled foods already.  Omega-3s…. not so much.

EFAs are used to build neural tissue and signalling hormones important to normal nerve interaction… in other words, it builds the brain and nervous system and makes it go vrrroom.  Want a great, slap-in-the-face sort of factoid about how important EFAs are to your nervous system?  How about this:  the two major Omega-3s are called EPA and DHA.  Your brain is about 22% DHA by weight.

So, pretty important.  And if you’re building a little tiny person, also known as a fetus, from the ground up, you’re going to need tons and tons of these EFAs to build their brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves travelling to each and every bit of their tiny little body.  Plus, you’ll need EFAs to make sure all of that neurology works right once it’s built.

Like every other nutrient the developing fetus needs, it draws these EFAs from the blood supply of the mother.  So, Mom is eating EFAs for two: her needs and the needs of her growing baby.

You know what?  The body prioritizes the developing fetus so much, that if there isn’t enough EFAs to go around, it will let the mother’s EFA levels drop in order to give that little baby what it needs.  So Moms who aren’t getting a lot of Omega-3 fatty acids to begin with (and there’s a bunch of you out there) are now REALLY deficient once Junior takes his share.

This actually continues after the baby is born.  Breast milk is very high in EFAs and therefore Omega-3s.  Hey, that little baby is still growing like crazy and needs to be able to build up its rapidly growing and responding brain and nervous system (amongst other things).  In fact, you can measure the difference in a mom’s DHA levels within about eight weeks after birth due to lactation (breast feeding).

Again, if the mother’s diet can’t supply enough EFAs for the child, some will be siphoned off from her own stores of EFA that are in her body’s tissues to make up the difference.  All of this adds up to, a lot of mothers get seriously depleted in EFAs… particularly, Omega-3 fatty acids.

Heck, most of us are deficient in Omega-3s to begin with, and now add in the rigors of pregnancy drawing off huge supplies of this vital nutrient… I think  you can see how this can lead to a massive, sudden drop on Omega-3s for mothers.

Right, so now we know pregnancy can lead to massive Omega-3 deficiency.  So what does that have to do with post-partum depression?

Remember when I said that EFAs had a lot to do with building brain and nerve tissue, and also for the signalling hormones used in that system?  Well, this has to do with that last part.  Omega-3s are used to help regulate and mediate mood and emotion, amongst other things.

How exactly that works isn’t 100% clear.  It may have to do with Omega-3’s role in the actual transmission of the nerve signals themselves.  It may have to do with how EPA makes hormones called eicosanoids (you can forget that name), which help to regulate mood.

It may also have to do with how EPA essentially “competes” with its opposite Omega-6 counterpart to reduce cytokines (forget that name too), which can add with inflammation to negatively affect mood and emotion.  It’s sort of like something needs to fill the hole, either Omega-3 or Omega-6, so whichever you’ve got more of, gets the spot.  So EPA acts as a blocker to depressing chemicals.

Here’s what we do know.  Countries where people eat more fish (which have a lot of Omega-3s in them) have the lowest levels of post-partum depression.  This, to me, is the most obvious indicator that there’s something to the theory that Omega-3s and post-partum depression are linked.

Those of you who have read my guide on nutritional supplements know that I think you’re nuts if you’re not taking Omega-3 supplements already.  If you’re pregnant, that goes double… for you, and your baby.

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