Eating fish scales down schizophrenia risk

Media release – 11 December 2007

Eating fish scales down schizophrenia risk

SCHIZOPHRENIA is the latest ailment where researchers believe eating more fish may reduce risk..

An international conference has been told an Australian-based study suggests Omega-3 oil from fish might lessen the chance of young people developing schizophrenia.

Dr Paul Amminger, from the Orygen Research Centre in Melbourne, presented findings from the study at the World Psychiatry Association conference in Melbourne on November 29.

Dr Amminger and other researchers treated a group of 81 people, all between 15 and 25 years, judged to be at higher-than-average risk of developing schizophrenia.

He told a radio interviewer they had received about 1.5 grams of Omega-3 fish oils each day for three months.

“It's in the range you can reach with a very fishy diet,” Dr Amminger said. “It's not a huge amount of fish oil.

“What we saw is that, in 12 months follow up, even though the intervention was only for three months, when we followed the people up a year later we saw that about 5% in the Omega-3 group developed psychosis, and there were 28% in a placebo group.

“The risk in the placebo group was seven times as high to develop psychosis. And I think probably the reason we saw this quite large effect is that if you have a treatment early, even a benign treatment, early in the disorder, your effects are probably much better than at a later stage.”

In a study coordinated from Australia, the researchers will now try to replicate their findings in nine centres round the world.

Mr Roy Palmer, who has been co-ordinating the monitoring and distribution of information on health benefits of seafood on behalf of national industry body Seafood Services Australia for several years, said today the results were very significant.

“It will be wonderful if we can help prevent at-risk young people going on to develop schizophrenia, which is obviously a terrible, debilitating illness,” Mr Palmer said.

“This is just the latest in a series of ailments where seafood looks to have a protective role, particularly in relation to the brain.

“At a conference I attended in Dublin, Ireland just a couple of months ago, one of the world’s foremost researchers into the brain was urging greater consumption of seafood to reduce mental health problems.

“Professor Michael Crawford, Director of the Institute of Brain Chemistry & Human Nutrition at London Metropolitan University, described the rise in brain disorders and mental health problems associated with a deficiency in Omega 3 oils as the most pressing health issue of the 21st century.”

Mr Palmer said consumption of appropriate levels and types of seafood might offer a benign treatment for potential schizophrenia, compared with anti-psychotic drugs that could have serious side effects.

“It looks to work particularly well as an early intervention treatment, and it could mean thousands of young people in Australia and elsewhere round the world being spared the awful symptoms of schizophrenia in years to come.

“Other research has already suggested a role for seafood, because of its high Omega-3 oil content, in avoiding or treating mental conditions such as aggression, Alzheimer’s and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. And it requires nothing more expensive or complicated than a change of diet.”

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Mr Roy Palmer, Network Leader, Global Seafood for Health, Seafood Services Australia: 0419 528 733

Mr Colin Bishop, Seafood Services Australia: 0419 774 936 or cbishop@seafoodservices.com.au

Note:

For more of the radio interview with Dr Amminger
For more information on the Orygen Research Centre in Melbourne
For more information on the health benefits of seafood

Issued: Tue Dec 11 10:50:49 EST

Reference-id: SSANEWS0205

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