With the changing of times, more and more people are focusing on how to improve their physical health. Though physical health is closely related to mental health, people assume that if they take care of their physical health, they will be mentally healthy as well. If you are among such people, then you should know that this approach is right but not accurate. You must do some activity like yoga, meditation, etc. to enhance your mental health and stay away from mental health issues.

One of the mental health issues you need to stay away from is the bipolar disorder. It is a serious condition in which a person goes through periods of acute depression where he or she loses all hope and periods of mania in which he or she feels that their mood is extremely high. Sometimes, the person might also have a normal mood. This is an ailment that causes a lot of stress not only to an individual but his or her loved ones as well. If you or someone you know is showing the symptoms of this disorder, it’s advised to seek professional help straight away.

A Big Diet Change for People with Bipolar Disorder

Though there are many diet changes that can be recommended by a mental health expert to boost the quality of life of a person dealing with bipolar disorder, one big change is to include quality Omega 3 fatty acid supplements from providers like Yes Wellness in your diet.

All the Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA, ALA, EPA, and LA are essential for people considering dietary changes to improve the quality of life while struggling with bipolar disorder. All these are vital components of all the cells, and these fats cannot be produced by our bodies from scratch.

The Flaw

All the people who have bipolar disorder or they suspect that they might have it should include Omega 3 fatty acids supplements in the diet. This is essential for vegetarians or vegans because EPA and DHA are not present in plant foods. It is also essential for meat eaters because modern animal foods have fewer amounts of these fatty acids that there used to be because the method of processing meat has changed a lot in the last few years.

In a survey, 68 percent Canadians agreed that they were getting ample amounts of Omega 3 in their diet, but the fact is that the difference of amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids is increasing. We are all consuming more Omega 6 than Omega 3 fatty acids, and this imbalance is particularly harmful to our brain health as our brain needs a higher concentration of Omega 3 fatty acids to deal with issues like bipolar disorder and to remain healthy.

Maintain the Balance

When increasing your consumption of Omega 3, you should also remember to balance it with your consumption of Omega 6. One easy way to increase the consumption of Omega 6 is to increase your consumption of vegetable oils like sunflower, corn, walnut, soybean, grapeseed. If you want to reduce the consumption of Omega 6, you should depend on options like olive oil, cocoa butter, palm oil and coconut oil among others.

Research Reveals

Apart from helping people who have bipolar disorder, Omega 3 can also help people who have postpartum depression because studies have shown promising results in this regard. Adolescents and children who may be victimized by depression might also benefit from Omega 3 supplements.

A study conducted at the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine has revealed that people who had low levels of EPA showed more symptoms of bipolar disorders. Another systematic review found that consumption of Omega 3 fatty acids can help benefit with depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder and not the mania.

Omega 3 is a Brain Booster

•       Omega 3 is also essential for people who have no disorder or illness but want to boost their mental health because it provides the following benefits:
•       Omega 3 allow brain cell membranes to be flexible enough to communicate with each other.
•       It also reduces the activity of specific brain signaling chemicals like protein kinase C which is good because hyperactivity of this compound can lead to manic symptoms.
•       Omega 3 also helps in making sure that your brain doesn’t have any inflammation as inflammation is associated with mood disorders.

Conclusion

In essence, it can be seen that though there is evidence that having appropriate amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids is good for people dealing with bipolar disorder, there is a need to do more research in this regard. As there is no harm in having the right amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids if you balance it with Omega 6, you should try this healthy lifestyle change when dealing with bipolar disorder.

Image Sources

https://healdove.com/mental-health/Bipolar-Disorder-How-to-Love-Someone-Amidst-the-Constant-Chaos

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180717194558.htm