The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Omega-3 Antidepressant Diet and Brain Program

by Andrew L. Stoll

Book Overview

Introduces a safe, natural, and simple treatment for managing depression and related illnesses without side effects using diet and over-the-counter supplements. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684871386
• ISBN13: 9780684871387
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

there's hope if you're going through perimenopause!

I fell into a deep depression about seven monthes ago. I've been to doctors and psychiatrists only to be put on different medications for anxiety and depression. I didn't understand why I was in a depression as my life is going very well.The doctors didn't offer any good reasons why this happens. I asked my doctor if this could be because I'm entering menopause. (I have other symptoms of this.) He said I was too young.After doing alot of research on the Internet, I found out that I was going through perimenopause and depression can be one of the symptoms.I researched again and finally found this book. It is truly amazing! My depression lifted in about a week. I can think clearly and I sleep better than I have in years!Not only that, Dr. Stoll mentions that even young children can use Omega-3 safely. This is an added bonus as I have a 9 year-old who has had trouble going to sleep for years and very high-strung and nervous. I found a children's supplement of Omega-3 for him and he now falls to sleep easily and sleeps like a baby. He also tells me he feels more relaxed. (By the way, I took him to so called "specialists" and all they wanted to do was put him on drugs!)I still feel alittle weepy around my menstrual period, but I don't have severe depression anymore. This book is a Blessing!

What to expect from this book

Here just enough to whet your appetite.The introduction tells several success stories and He says that many studiesshow it is advantages to help with heart disease, arthritis and depressiontype problems.Chapter One; Seeking a new treatment for Bi-polar disorder(manic-depressive) that would be similar to the known substances but withouttheir problems hundreds of papers came up with a molecule of Omega 3 or fishOil! Furthermore that Omega 3 is important to brain function and thatseveral Hospitals are investigating its effects.Chapter Two; Discusses fat and oil. Significantly that Japanese with thelow rates of heart disease live in fishing villages, but the Japanese livingin farming villages suffer higher rates. And of course the Eskimos havelittle heart disease. Stoll writes that the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 is1:1 in primitive cultures; But maybe 20:1 or 40 :1 in America. In otherwords We eat too much 6 and not enough 3.Chapter Three: Anthropology claims that of the varieties of two millionyear old homonid ancestors those that ate meat and fish developed greaterbrain power and tools. A diet rich in fish helped the brain develop andduring the last hundred years the brain has become smaller! I wonder wherethe idea that fish is brain food came from?Chapter Four: Omega 6 feeds Cancer, Omega 3 slows it down. Omega 3consumption helps people lose weight.Chapter Five: Both Baby and Mother suffer from a lack of Omega 3.Chapter Six. Those suffering from depression have low levels of Omega 3.Chapter Seven: A clinical trial shows significant improvement in patientstaking fish oil.Chapter Eight. Under stress Students taking fish oil were less aggressivethan those on Soy oil.Chapter Nine; Children and rats both suffering from Attention deficiencydisorder are found to have low levels of Omega 3.Chapter Ten: Tests in England and India show Omega 3 helps someschizophrenic individuals and if used with vitamins results may be better.Chapter Eleven: Mice and Rats have better memory on Omega 3.Chapter Twelve: There have been twenty studies of St. John's Wort done inGermany. It should be used under Medical supervision.Chapter Thirteen: What to eat. More fruits, vegetables and fish. Farmraised fish from Europe have more Omega 3 than those raised in America.Chapter Fourteen: Fish oil comes in various strengths of Omega 3, some maybe deficient. Flaxseed, purslane, walnut and perilla among others contain atype of Omega 3, maybe not as good as fish. It is essential to takeanti-oxidants (Vitamins).Grapes contain reservatol, Coenzyme Q10 is found in spinach, peanuts andsardines.Chapter Fifteen: Recipes followed by tables of useful herbs and sources andreferences.Well written book. With far more data than outlined here.Recommended by this writer.Lorenzo

Omega-3 fish oil-Irish experience

I first became interested in omega-3 when I read Andrew Stoll`s article in Archives of General Psychiatry in May 99.I tried it on a patient with bipolar disorder who had intractable OCD-she worried about Aids all day long.In just a few days her OCD improved dramatically,she stopped smoking,slept well and became quite relaxed.I then read everything I could find on the subject and found Donald Rudin an interesting writer.I was delighted to see Dr Stoll had written this book and have read it a few times.I have enjoyed it more than most novels and it has been very helpful to many of my patients.I have found omega-3 useful too for several other indications,including agoraphobia,alcoholism,drug abuse,sexual abuse,schizophrenia,anxiety,depression,insomnia and withdrawal from benzodiazepines.It has opened a whole new world for me in the treatment of mental illness.Because I have been interviewed on Irish radio many people here take omega-3 and find it takes the edge off the stress of everyday living.

Initially skeptical of omega 3 claims

I was initially skeptical of Omega-3 claims as just more hype for the food supplement industry. However I read in a reputable textbook ""Biochemical and Physiological Aspects of Human Nutrition" by Martha H Stephanie that Omega3 fatty acids are now considered "essential fatty acids" and she explained why. Also the 17th edition of the Merck Manual briefly indicates that the EPA and DHA found in fish oils are essential fatty acids and recommends a ratio of 10:1 for omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids in the diet. Omega 3 fatty acids are essential building blocks for the retina in the eye, nerve tissue, the brain and control details of the proper nutritional balance of cells in the body Since omega 6 is the primary fat in corn, soy, and safflower oils, the typical American diet contains a ratio of 10, 20 or 40 to 1 for omega 6 to omega 3. If you don't have enough omega 3 or if the ratio is too high in omega 6 there can be profound health consequences. I bought "The Omega-3 Connection" as an authoritative source (Dr Stoll is at the Harvard Medical School" to settle my doubts. After reading this book it I think it may be the most important health book of this year( maybe this century) and is MUST reading for anyone concerned for the health of their children. I sent a copy to each of my daughters so my grandchildren can benefit from this new information.

Finally, a "true" advance in mental health treatment

In September of 1998, NIH sponsored the first international workshop on this subject: "Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids and Psychiatric Disorders." Here, Andrew Stoll presented the results of his now famous study in bipolar disorder. In the introduction of this meeting, I suggested that these recent reports of dietary supplementation with essential fatty acids in chronic and severe mental disorders constituted the most important finding in psychiatry in 40 years. In the two years that have passed since then, I am even more convinced of their significance. I have seen lifelong manic-depressive individuals become "well" with this treatment ­ to the point of enabling them to discontinue prescription medications. I would never have believed this possible. Once the basic scientists begin investigations into the neurobiological basis of these phenomena, true progress in the prevention and treatment of mental and neurological disorders will have begun. This book tells the exciting story of the development of this newest frontier in psychiatry and points out the other major health benefits that can result from bringing these essential oils back into our food chain. This book should be on everyone's shelf.