Indication: Bipolar disorder

Source: Am J Psychiatry, December 2003;160(12):2222-7.

Research: Researchers measured omega-3 fatty acid intake in the study, searching for a link with lower prevalence rates of bipolar disorder in community samples. Lifetime prevalence rates in various countries for bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, bipolar spectrum disorder and schizophrenia were identified from population-based epidemiological studies that used similar methods. These epidemiological studies used structured diagnostic interviews with similar diagnostic criteria and were population based with large sample sizes. Linear and nonlinear regression analyses were used to compare these prevalence data to differences in apparent seafood consumption.

Results: Exponential decay regressions showed that greater seafood consumption predicted lower lifetime prevalence rates of bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder and bipolar spectrum disorder. Bipolar II disorder and bipolar spectrum disorder had an apparent vulnerability threshold below 50 lbs of seafood per person a year. The absence of a correlation between lifetime prevalence rates of schizophrenia and seafood consumption suggests a specificity to affective disorders. Researchers concluded that the data describe a robust correlation between greater seafood consumption and lower prevalence rates of bipolar disorders.