Omega-3 alleviates menopausal symptoms
Two Canadian reports suggest that highly purified ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid (E-EPA) omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may alleviate hot flushes and psychological distress in middle-aged women. The daily dosage was 1,050 grams in both trials.
The departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology gynecology at Saint-François d’Assise Hospital (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec) Canada investigated the effects of enriched ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid (E-EPA) omega-3 fatty acid supplementation with those of placebo on hot flashes (HFs) and distress among middle-aged women.
Women were considered for participation if they were between 40 and 55 years of age and had hot flushes and moderate to severe psychological distress. A total of 120 women were randomly assigned to E-EPA or placebo for 8 weeks.
Hot Flashes
At baseline, the average number of hot flushes was 2.8 per day. After 8 weeks, the frequency and score decreased significantly in the E-EPA group compared with the placebo group. Frequency of hot flushes declined by a mean of 1.58 per day in the E-EPA group and by 0.50 per day in the placebo group.
“Supplementation with E-EPA omega-3 fatty acid reduced HF frequency and improved the HF score relative to placebo. These results need to be confirmed by a clinical trial specifically designed to evaluate HFs in more symptomatic women”, the authors conclude.
Psychological Distress
Psychological distress (PD) and depressive symptoms are commonly observed during menopausal transition. Studies suggest that omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids may help alleviate depression. The objective of tris trial was to compare (E-EPA) supplementation with placebo for the treatment of PD and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women.
Women with moderate-to-severe PD (n = 120) were randomly assigned to receive 1.05 g E-EPA/d plus 0.15 g ethyl-docosahexaenoic acid/d (n = 59) or placebo (n = 61) for 8 wk. The main outcomes were 8-wk changes in PD scores [Psychological General Well-Being Schedule (PGWB)] and depressive scales [20-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist Depression Scale (HSCL-D-20) and the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-21)].
At baseline, women with PD were mildly to moderately depressed, and 24% met the major depressive episode (MDE) criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition. After 8 wk, outcomes improved in both groups, but no significant differences were noted between them. Differences in adjusted 8-wk changes between the E-EPA group with MDE (n = 13) and the placebo group (n = 16) were not significant.
“To our knowledge, this is the first trial of n-3 supplementation in the treatment of PD and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women. In women with PD without MDE at baseline, the 8-wk changes in PD and depressive scales improved significantly more with E-EPA than with placebo”, the authors write (2).
This trial was registered at Controlled Clinical Trials under ISRCTN69617477.
Lucas M, Asselin G, Mérette C, Poulin MJ, Dodin S. Effects of ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on hot flashes and quality of life among middle-aged women: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Menopause. 2008 Nov 20. Abstract
Lucas M, Asselin G, Mérette C, Poulin MJ, Dodin S. Ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid for the treatment of psychological distress and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Dec 30. PubMed