Related to this issue, I’ve read that plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids for children during childhood can help prevent psychosis… see these studies:
A new study, the largest of its kind, published in Biological Psychiatry today [12 June], tracked the blood test results of over 3,500 participants for a span of 17 years to explore a possible link between diet and mental health.
Led by Queen’s University Belfast, the longitudinal study, using data from the University of Bristol’s Children of the 90s, examined how blood levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as a specific omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), changed over time.
Working in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cambridge and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, the aim was to identify if, and how, these variations were related to the development of symptoms of psychosis in young adults aged 24.
Researchers tracked the participants, who are part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), also known as ‘Children of the 90s’, from childhood into adulthood.
The fatty acid levels were measured in the blood tests collected from the participants throughout their lives, at the specific ages of 7, 15, 17 and 24 years old.
The findings reveal that those with persistently higher levels of omega-6 compared to omega-3 fatty acids in their blood, as well as consistently low DHA levels, had more psychotic experiences at age 24 compared to people whose levels remained average over this time period. Psychotic experiences include thoughts of paranoia or hearing sounds others cannot.
In addition, these participants also showed greater negative symptoms of psychosis. Negative symptoms include experiencing a loss of interest in activities, flattening of emotions and social withdrawal.
Adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids is recommended for general health, and the balance of omega-6 to omega-3s is thought to be important for various physical and mental health benefits.
Foods high in omega-3 include certain fish and seafood, some vegetable oils, nuts, and high fat plant foods such as chia seeds, flaxseeds, brussels sprouts and more. Omega-6 fatty acids can be found in sunflower, safflower, soy, sesame, and corn oils.
Commenting on the significance of the findings, Dr David Mongan, Academic Clinical Lecturer at Queen’s University, said: “This inaugural study is important because the results suggest that optimising fatty acid status during crucial stages of development, whether through diet or supplementation, warrants further investigation in relation to reducing psychotic symptoms in early adulthood.”
Omega-3s May Have Ability to Delay or Prevent Psychosis
Therefore, the omega-3 fatty acids can “reduce the risk of progression to psychotic disorder and may offer a safe and efficacious strategy for indicated prevention in young people with subthreshold psychotic states,” Amminger and his team concluded.
“I think this is a very important paper,” Scott Woods, M.D., a Yale University professor of psychiatry and one of the scientists trying to keep prodromal schizophrenia from developing into full-blown illness, told Psychiatric News. “Omega-3s are safe, and it would be terrific if they could really prevent psychosis.”
https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/pn.45.6.psychnews_45_6_024
Nature Open Access Paper:
Longer-term outcome in the prevention of psychotic disorders by the Vienna omega-3 study
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8934
