I’ve shared cross-sectional studies and clinical studies here previously. But this sort of meta-analysis is a little gold mine of data. All the studies on a particular topic, in this case the treatment of clinical depression with omega-3 fats, get scrutinized, their data extrapolated and combined, and we see if the data can point us in a particular direction. “A Meta-analytic Review of Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trials of Antidepressant Efficacy of Omega-3 Fatty Acids” found ten omega-3 treatment trials that lasted longer than 4 weeks, and included a total of 329 patients.
The 2007 study concluded that more comprehensive trials looking at the antidepressant efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids were needed, subsequent research continues to support the use of these fats to augment and enhance the treatment of patients with clinical depression.
