Nutraceutical: Omega 3
 
Indication: Anxiety and inflammation

Source: Brain, Behav Immun, Jul 19, 2011 [Epub ahead of print].
 
Research: In this study, researchers assembled a field of 68 first- and second-year medical students who volunteered for the clinical trial. The students were randomly divided into six groups, all of which were interviewed six times during the study. At each visit, blood samples were drawn from the students who also completed a battery of psychological surveys intended to gauge their levels of stress, anxiety or depression. The students also completed questionnaires about their diets during the previous weeks. Half the students received omega 3 supplements while the others were given placebo pills.
 
Results: Although researchers acknowledged this was not a particularly stressful time for the students, there were some interesting results from the study. The psychological surveys clearly showed an important change in anxiety among the students: Those receiving omega 3s showed a 20% reduction in anxiety compared to the placebo group. An analysis  of the blood samples from the medical students showed similar important results. In this vein, researchers noted a 14% reduction in the amounts of IL-6 among the students receiving the omega 3s. Still, while the study showed the positive impact omega 3 supplements could play in reducing both anxiety and inflammation, the researchers aren’t willing to recommend that the public start adding them to the daily diet. They said only that the reduction in anxiety symptoms associated with omega 3 supplementation provides the first evidence that omega 3s might have potential anxiolytic benefits for individuals without an anxiety disorder diagnosis.