Posted by honeybee on January 25, 2006, at 11:28:07
In reply to Re: FOOD FOR THOUGHT-Omega 3 » Phillipa, posted by blueberry on January 17, 2006, at 21:37:38
In all the reading that I've done (including several quoting Dr. Stoll, author of the groundbreaking Bipolar study), it seems like the ratio of EPA to DHA is best at 7:1 (more or less) and that 1 to 2 grams of *EPA* is optimal--DHA is less important, according to Dr. Stoll, because these stores are "deposited" during our prenatal brain development. There was a study (done somewhere in Scandanavia, I believe?) that showed that, for depressed patients, taking more EPA, even at the levels prescribed by Dr. Stoll in his bipolar study, was not more effective than taking just the 1 to 2 grams. But Dr. Stoll even says that he's heard from people saying that they don't get any effect until they're taking a lot more than the starting dose (1 gram of EPA a day).
Maybe this has to do with our various brains' metabolisms and stuctures? I, for one, am guessing that my brain, having been on a vegetarian, mostly Omega-6 diet for over 11 years, is probably in need of some major restructing and that it will take a while for my brain structure to change. Dr. Stoll says that with many patients, he has them start at 1 gram or so of EPA a day and, if they don't feel any effect in the first couple of weeks, he bumps up the dose. I'm sticking with what the studies suggest: about 1.5 grams of EPA a day. I'd love to hear about other folks' dosing schedules though, and what they feel has worked best.
Honeybee
poster:honeybee
thread:600087
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20051208/msgs/602629.html