Fat food for a bad mood. Could we treat and prevent depression in Type 2 diabetes by means of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids? A review of the evidence

  1. F. Pouwer1,2,
  2. G. Nijpels2,
  3. A. T. Beekman2,
  4. J. M. Dekker2,
  5. R. M. van Dam3,
  6. R. J. Heine2,
  7. F. J. Snoek1,2

Article first published online: 19 OCT 2005

DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2005.01661.x

Issue

Diabetic Medicine

Diabetic Medicine

Volume 22, Issue 11, pages 1465–1475, November 2005

Additional Information

How to Cite

Pouwer, F., Nijpels, G., Beekman, A. T., Dekker, J. M., van Dam, R. M., Heine, R. J. and Snoek, F. J. (2005), Fat food for a bad mood. Could we treat and prevent depression in Type 2 diabetes by means of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids? A review of the evidence. Diabetic Medicine, 22: 1465–1475. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2005.01661.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, Department of Medical Psychology,

  2. 2

    Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, EMGO Institute

  3. 3

    Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, Department of Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

* Dr Frans Pouwer, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, EMGO Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. E-mail: f.pouwer@vumc.nl

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 19 OCT 2005
  2. Article first published online: 19 OCT 2005
  3. Accepted 18 November 2004

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Keywords:

  • diabetes;
  • depression;
  • omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids;
  • phospholipids;
  • metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Aims  Evidence strongly suggests that depression is a common complication of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, there is considerable room to improve the effectiveness of pharmacological antidepressant agents, as in only 50–60% of the depressed subjects with diabetes does pharmacotherapy lead to remission of depression. The aim of the present paper was to review whether polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the ω-3 family could be used for the prevention and treatment of depression in Type 2 diabetes.

Methods  MEDLINE database and published reference lists were used to identify studies that examined the associations between ω-3 PUFA and depression. To examine potential side-effects, such as on glycaemic control, studies regarding the use of ω-3 supplements in Type 2 diabetes were also reviewed.

Results  Epidemiological and clinical studies suggest that a high intake of ω-3 PUFA protects against the development of depression. There is also some evidence that a low intake of ω-3 is associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, but the results are less conclusive. Results from randomized controlled trials in non-diabetic subjects with major depression show that eicosapentaenoic acid is an effective adjunct treatment of depression in diabetes, while docosahexanoic acid is not. Moreover, consumption of ω-3 PUFA reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and may therefore indirectly decrease depression in Type 2 diabetes, via the reduction of cardiovascular complications.

Conclusions  Supplementation with ω-3 PUFA, in particular eicosapentaenoic acid, may be a safe and helpful tool to reduce the incidence of depression and to treat depression in Type 2 diabetes. Further studies are now justified to test these hypotheses in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

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