Advice to eat fish and mood: a randomised controlled trial in men with angina
Abstract
People with high intake of fish have lower reported rates of depression and a small trial in psychiatric patients suggested that fish oil supplements reduced episodes of depression and mania. As part of a factorial trial of interventions to reduce mortality in angina 452 men were randomised to advice to eat more fatty fish or no fish advice. Maxepa fish oil capsules were supplied to men who found the fish unpalatable. Fish intake and mood were assessed at baseline and six months. Most men (83%) had mood assessed using the Derogatis Stress Profile at baseline and follow-up. Self reported intake of fish was higher in the fish advice group at six months. There was, however, no difference in depression or anxiety in those allocated to receive fish advice. After controlling for baseline mood, the difference in depression score between those randomised to fish advice and those not was 1.29 (95% CI -0.29 to 2.88) and the difference in anxiety was 0.82 (95% CI -0.57 to 2.22) with positive differences indicating more depression or anxiety in those allocated to the fish arm. This trial provides no evidence that increased fatty fish intake in people without depressive symptoms has any substantial effect on mood.
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In DART-2, oily fish did not affect all-cause mortality or CVD events after 3-9 years, and increased sudden cardiac death, largely in the fish oil capsule subgroup.
“In DART-2 oily fish did not affect all-cause mortality or CVD events after 3–9y, and increased sudden cardiac death, largely confined to the subgroup given fish oil capsules (200).”
From Food Consumption and its Impact on Cardiovascular Disease: Importance of Solutions Focused on the Globalized Food System (2015) · cites this paper as [200]
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- Authors
- Ness, A. R., Gallacher, J. E. J., Bennett, P. D., Gunnell, D. J., Rogers, P. J., Kessler, D., & Burr, M. L.
- Affiliations
- Cardiff University (GB)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- University of Wales (GB)
- Venue
- Nutritional Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2003-01
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 63-65
- ISSN
- 1028-415X (ISSN-L)
- 1476-8305
- OpenAlex
- W2007041301
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 3.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nutritional Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
- Keywords
- fish consumption, fatty fish, fish oil supplements, depression, anxiety, mood, angina pectoris, men, dietary recommendations, mortality reduction
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Aged, Angina Pectoris, Animals, Anxiety, Depression, Diet, Fish Oils, Fishes, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Seafood
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