How Omega 3 & 6 Help Achieve Mental Well-Being

We often think of our mental health and physical health as two separate entities that need to be addressed individually. However, the connection between the two is stronger than you think. When aspiring to be healthier, taking care of one means taking care of the other as well.

There is strong evidence that our mental health is directly affected by factors we put our physical body through. For example, doctors recommend physical exercise to combat depression and those having a better mental disposition is shown to recover from heart surgery much quicker. (1)

Some nutrients are better at taking care of both the mind and body. In this article, we talk about how a healthy dose of Omega-3 and 6 in your diet can help achieve better mental well-being.

Sleeping better is connected with a better mood — with your body well rested and your brain given the time to repair and adjust to everyday stresses. Better sleep also helps in memory retention, allowing children to learn more and make better grades. DHA, a fatty acid processed from Omega-3 ALA, is found to promote sleep in school-aged children, an age when the brain undergoes drastic development. (2)

In an article published by HealthXchange.sg, about 10% of the Singaporean population suffer from anxiety and depressive disorders. (3) While this is lower than US standards and surrounding countries in Southeast Asia, it still translates to at least half a million citizens afflicted with anxiety despite a more advantageous disposition due to the island’s natural protection against natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis.

Studies show that anxiety can be caused by the foods we eat. In a paper published in the International Journal of Endocrinology, it says that fats, sugar and processed foods tend to make our anxieties worse. (4) To combat this, we should minimize consumption of these anxiety-triggering foods and eat foods rich in zinc, magnesium, vitamin B and omega 3 fatty acids.

With omega fatty acids’ anti-inflammatory properties, doctors have been prescribing fish oil omega-3 capsules to help manage anxiety. Efamol Efalex Active 50+ is rich with Omega 3 & 6, helping your brain function better by improving the communication between nerves. With its additional ginkgo biloba and vitamin b12 and folic acid, this supplement makes full use of the anti-inflammatory properties of Omega 3 fatty acids, equipping your brain with the necessary functions to combat anxieties.

Omega fatty acids are also being utilized to help manage other mood disturbances other than Major Depressive Disorder. Studies have shown its contribution to managing schizophrenia, post-partum depression, and bipolar disorder. (5)

Dr Mischoulon also says that EPA and DHA fatty acids, both found in fish oil, may be just as active as antidepressants in their function as a secondary messenger system in the cell. (6)

With our diets playing a major role in our mental health, it’s also important to boost brain and body functions with supplemental nutrients. Efamol Efalex Active 50+ is not only rife with omega-3 &6, it also contains key nutrients for better brain function. Ginkgo Biloba is known to enhance memory retention, while Phosphatidylserine helps maintain a healthy nervous system to better bring messages to your brain. At the same time, vitamin B12 and folic acid support better cognitive functions to keep you alert and performing at your best.

Efamol Efalex Active 50+ is free from sugar, gluten, wheat, yeast and milk derivatives, and artificial flavours, colours and preservatives. Get yours today at wellbeingsg.com.

Publishing, H. (2008, May). Optimism and your health. Retrieved October 02, 2020, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/optimism-and-your-health
University of Oxford. (2014, March 6). Higher levels of omega-3 in diet are associated with better sleep, study shows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 1, 2020 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140306103931.htm
Lim, J. (2016). Mental Health. Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.healthxchange.sg/wellness/mental-health/anxiety-singapore-stats-types-risk
Murphy, M., & Mercer, J. G. (2013). Diet-regulated anxiety. International journal of endocrinology, 2013, 701967. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/701967
Osher, Y., & Belmaker, R. H. (2009). Omega-3 fatty acids in depression: a review of three studies. CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 15(2), 128–133. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-5949.2008.00061.x
Harrar, S. (2012, January). Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Mood Disorders. Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/011012p22.shtml