Editors Comments : Below is  another testimonial that a customer emailed into us , followed by some more fish oil news !

Hi

I started taking 3 capsules a day on 18th Dec 09. I suffer from anxiety and depression and in the past have self harmed, been unable to leave the house, considered suicide and many other things. I have been on various anti-depressants for the last 6 years and even though they took the edge off the depression most days I still felt like life wasn't worth living, had no sex drive at all, and was using alcohol to self medicate. I researched everything I could to help myself and found your website. Initially I thought the capsules were expensive but bought them at my wits end willing to try anything. I noticed a change immediately as my moods got lighter and I suffered from less anxiety and depression symptoms. My husband is delighted as in only 6 weeks our sex life is almost back to normal! I am a much happier person, I have more patience with the children, everything doesn't seem like a chore any more the and the only thing I have done differently is take the capsules, everything else in my life is exactly the same. I have recommended the capsules to everyone and my husband is also taking them. I would be over the moon to stay as I am but if the capsules go on to make my depression even better I will be ecstatic. I am amazed that they worked and even more amazed at how quickly I noticed a change in myself- literally within days. I no longer consider them at all expensive, they are lifesavers for me and cheaper than drinking a bottle of wine or two every night! Thank you so much xx You are more than welcome to use any of my comments.

Effects of n-3 fatty acid Pure EPA in the treatment of depression

S. Keshavarz1, S. Jazayeri1, M. Tehrani-Doost2, M. Hosseini3, A. Djazayery1, M. Jalali1, H. Amini2 and M. Chamari1

1Department of Nutrition and Biochemistry, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,Iran,  2Roozbeh Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran and 3Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

The objective of the present study was to assess the therapeutic effects of the n-3 fatty acid EPA in depression as compared with the antidepressant agent fluoxetine, the common drug for alleviation of this widespread disease.

Forty outpatients (twenty-seven females and thirteen males; age, 34.8 (SD 8.7) years; weight, 71 (SD 15.3) kg) with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (by means of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-intravenous(1)) were randomly allocated to receive daily either 1000 mg EPA or 20 mg fluoxetine for 8 weeks. The double-dummy technique was used to double-blind the study. Patients were assessed at baseline and at weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8 after initiation of the treatment.

The change in the severity of depression (assessed by means of Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS)(2)) was the primary outcome measure.

A two-way (time and treatment) repeated-measures ANOVA for HDRS was performed in twenty-eight patients who had completed the study. There were no significant differences between the two groups in controlling depressive symptoms throughout the trial and at the end point. The response rate (? 50% decrease in baseline HDRS) was higher in the EPA group (64%), although not statistically different from that in the fluoxetine group (57%).

In this 8-week trial EPA was as effective as fluoxetine in controlling depressive symptoms. As EPA is a dietary supplement it may be more acceptable to patients than antidepressants.

In the UK, an estimated 3.5 million people take the drug, collectively known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), in any one year and 29 million prescriptions were issued in 2004. Prozac, the best known of the SSRIs made by Eli Lilly, was the world's fastest-selling drug until it was overtaken by Viagra.

1. Sadock BJ & Sadock, VA (2003) In Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, p. 534. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.

2. Hamilton M (1960) J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 23, 56-62.