We already know omega-3 fatty acids are great for the heart and joints, but could they also make you happier? US researchers think they might.

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Essential fatty acids may lift your mood

6 July 2010

We already know omega-3 fatty acids are great for the heart and joints, but could they also make you happier? US researchers think they might.

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Be it two plates of salmon per week, or your humble fish oil capsule, American research suggest the more omega-3s in your diet, the more likely you are to have a positive outlook.

These essential fatty acids seem to affect areas of the brain linked to emotion, they found. In the study by the University of Pittsburgh, 55 healthy adults were quizzed as to their omega-3 intake and given MRI scans to assess areas of the brain affecting mood and regulating emotion.

The team, headed by Dr Sarah Colkin, had previously theorised that those with lower blood levels of omega-3 essential fatty acids were more likely to have a negative outlook and be impulsive, whereas those with higher levels were generally more agreeable.

These latest findings hinted at the fact that omega-3s may contribute to structural improvements in sections of the brain relating to mood and emotional regulation.

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