tcsc2895 Eicosapentaenoic Acid

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an omega-3 fatty acid.

Target: Others

Studies have suggested that EPA may be efficacious in treating depression. One 2004 study, took blood samples of 100 suicide attempt patients and compared the blood samples to those of controls and found that levels of eicosapentaenoic acid were significantly lower in the washed red blood cells of the suicide-attempt patients. A 2009 metastudy found that patients taking omega-3 supplements with a higher EPA:DHA ratio experienced fewer depressive symptoms. One study also reports the remission of depressive symptoms and decrease in lateral ventricular volume of a patient who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome after taking high-EPA essential fatty acid supplement [1, 2].