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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Tomatheus on July 26, 2012, at 21:15:34
Has anyone else here had any success treating a depressive disorder with a supplement that's high in gamma linolenic acid, such as evening primrose oil or borage seed oil? I've had success using both supplements in the past, although the success was temporary.
Do any of you have any ideas as to what the mechanism is by which gamma linolenic acid exerts its antidepressant effects? I know that gamma linolenic acid suppresses the secretion of interleukin 1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha (DeLuca et al., 1999) and that levels of these cytokines may be altered in patients with depressive illnesses (Goshen et al., 2008; Ovaskainen et al., 2009; Hestad et al., 2003; Himmerich et al., 2008). So, perhaps gamma linolenic acid exerts its antidepressant effects by affecting the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Does anyone else have any other ideas as to how gamma linolenic acid may exert its antidepressant effects?
Finally, does anyone have any ideas as to why gamma linolenic acid supplements only seem to exert antidepressant benefits during the first few days of being administered -- at least in me? And what, if anything, can be done to prolong the brief antidepressant response that I get from taking supplements that contain gamma linolenic acid?
I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on this matter and even hearing from anyone who's benefited from gamma linolenic acid-containing supplements. It would be interesting to know if there are others who benefit from gamma linolenic acid and if those who do benefit from the fatty acid get sustained benefits.
Tomatheus
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REFERENCE
DeLuca, P., Rossetti, R.G., Alavian, C., Karim, P., & Zurier, R.B. (1999). Effects of gammalinolenic acid on interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha secretion by stimulated human peripheral blood monocytes: Studies in vitro and in vivo. Journal of Investigative Medicine, 47, 246-250. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10361385
Goshen, I., Kreisel, T., Ben-Menachem-Zidon, O., Licht, T., Weidenfeld, J., Ben-Hur, T., et al. (2008). Brain interleukin-1 mediates chronic stress-induced depression in mice via adrenocortical activation and hippocampal neurogenesis suppression. Molecular Psychiatry, 13, 717-728. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17700577
Hestad, K.A., Tonseth, S., Stoen, C.D., Ueland, T., & Aukrust, P. (2003). Raised plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with depression: Normalization during electroconvlusive therapy. Journal of ECT, 19, 183-188. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14657769
Himmerich, H., Fulda, S., Linseisen, J., Seiler, H., Wolfram, G., Himmerich, S., et al. (2008). Depression, comorbidities, and the TNF-alpha system. European Psychiatry, 23, 421-429. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18504118
Ovaskainen, Y., Koponen, H., Jokelainen, J., Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi, S., Kumpusalo, E., & Vanhala, M. (2009). Depressive symptomology is associated with decreased interleukin-1 beta and increased interleukin-1 receptor antagonist levels in males. Psychiatry Research, 167, 73-79. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19346005
Posted by SLS on July 27, 2012, at 8:57:29
In reply to Gamma linolenic acid and depression, posted by Tomatheus on July 26, 2012, at 21:15:34
Hi T.
> Do any of you have any ideas as to what the mechanism is by which gamma linolenic acid exerts its antidepressant effects?
No, but I'll be interested to see what you come up with.
- Scott
Posted by Hugh on July 30, 2012, at 16:08:18
In reply to Gamma linolenic acid and depression, posted by Tomatheus on July 26, 2012, at 21:15:34
> Finally, does anyone have any ideas as to why gamma linolenic acid supplements only seem to exert antidepressant benefits during the first few days of being administered -- at least in me?
It could be that you're taking too much of it.
Michael Norden has a chapter on combining fish oil and GLA in Beyond Prozac. Norden and Barry
Sears (author of The Zone diet books) recommend taking tiny amounts of GLA -- only a few milligrams a week. (A capsule of evening primrose oil typically contains 90 mg of GLA.) It might be in Omega Rx Zone that Sears discusses GLA at length. He writes that people typically do well on it in the beginning, but then its benefits begin to fade because they're taking way too much of it. When I've taken the huge amounts of GLA in evening primrose and borage oil capsules, it's made me feel very irritable. What I do now is prick a capsule with a pin, squeeze out a drop or two, and then keep the capsule in a sandwich bag in the refrigerator to use again in a few days.
Posted by Tomatheus on July 30, 2012, at 16:17:26
In reply to Re: Gamma linolenic acid and depression, posted by Hugh on July 30, 2012, at 16:08:18
Interesting, Hugh, thank you for the information.
> What I do now is prick a capsule with a pin, squeeze out a drop or two, and then keep the capsule in a sandwich bag in the refrigerator to use again in a few days.
Thanks, I might just try that.
Tomatheus
Posted by Lao Tzu on August 14, 2012, at 11:35:23
In reply to Gamma linolenic acid and depression, posted by Tomatheus on July 26, 2012, at 21:15:34
Good questions. I have discovered that some people need a combination of omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) and omega-6 fatty acids like borage or evening primrose to see a real difference in their depression. What you have to do is establish a dosage for both kinds of fatty acids, since they work in concert with each other. I take my fish oil first in the morning, the dosage I can tolerate. I wait 20 minutes for the fish oil to be absorbed, then I dose with 1 capsule of borage oil. I do this everyday, and it seems to work well. I used to take both kinds all at once, but it seems to work better with a brief interval between the two. Again, for some people both kinds of fatty acids are necessary, usually in a ratio of 1:1. If you take one without the other, you probably won't get the greatest benefit. Still, some people do well on fish oil alone or on the omega-6 fatty acids alone. I think for depression, taking both kinds will be more beneficial. Another point, when I started on the borage oil, for a while I was taking 2 capsules per day (1,300mg per capsule). As the weeks or months went by, my body eventually only could tolerate 1 capsule per day. That is because the fatty acids are oil based, and eventually with a little trial and error you will discover what your maintenance dose should be. The fish oil I am using is Eskimo-3 fish oil, and I seem to tolerate only 1,500mg (3 capsules) per day. This is approximately a 1:1 ratio between the two kinds of fatty acids. Some people may require higher doses, but I find that a little goes a long way.
Lao
Posted by Tomatheus on August 14, 2012, at 16:47:48
In reply to Re: Gamma linolenic acid and depression, posted by Lao Tzu on August 14, 2012, at 11:35:23
Thanks Lao for your reply.
Tomatheus
This is the end of the thread.
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