OMEGA-3-FATTY-ACID SUPPLEMENTATION IN SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

There is evidence that certain n3 and n6 essential fatty acids (EFAs) are depleted in cell membranes from red blood cells (RBC) and brains o f patients suffering from schizophrenia. If these findings are of prim ary significance, then the possibility is raised of modifying schizoph renic symptomatology by dietary supplementation with fatty acids. We h ave carried out detailed analysis of dietary fatty acid intake of 20 s chizophrenic patients. It was found that a greater intake of n3 fatty acids and particularly eicosapentenoic (EPA) in the normal diet, was a ssociated with less severe schizophrenic symptoms and particularly les s positive symptoms, as well as less tardive dyskinesia (TD). Furtherm ore, supplementation of the diet for 6 weeks with 10 g/day of concentr ated fish oil (MaxEPA) resulted in significant amelioration of both sc hizophrenic symptoms and TD. Multiple regression analysis showed that improvement in schizophrenic symptoms was importantly related to the i ncreased level of n3 fatty acids in RBC membranes.