The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Anti-depression Diet and Brain Program - Hardcover

Stoll, Andrew L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0684871386 ISBN 13: 9780684871387

Publisher: Free Press, 2001

Synopsis

Introduces a safe, natural, and simple treatment for managing depression and related illnesses without side effects using diet and over-the-counter nutritional supplements. 35,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

A must-read for anyone dealing with depression, The Omega-3 Connection by Andrew L. Stoll, M.D., strikes yet another blow against the standard American diet. We already know that years of noshing on highly processed foods have saddled us with sky-high rates of heart disease, obesity, and related conditions. But, as we're starting to understand now, our eating habits may also be subtly altering our brain chemistry, leaving us vulnerable to anxiety disorders and depression. Only in this case, it's not just what we're eating--it's what we're not eating: foods containing omega-3 essential fatty acids--the "good fats" that help maintain optimal brain function.

In his book, Stoll, the director of the psychopharmacology research lab at Boston's McLean Hospital and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, suggests that restoring our body's natural balance of omega-3s may help alleviate (and prevent) many types of depression--even for those who don't respond to traditional antidepressants. Omega-3s may also prove helpful with other problems, such as the inability to handle stress, memory loss, and cognitive decline. The book contains a "renewal plan" designed to help readers put Stoll's concepts into practice, recipes for omega-3-rich dishes, advice for choosing supplements, and dosages for therapeutic use.

Although Stoll is quick with the caveat that much of the research on omega-3s and brain function is still evolving, he makes a compelling case for using these fats to regulate depression and other cognitive disorders. Along with major epidemiological evidence that shows lower rates of depression in those cultures that consume a great deal of omega-3s, Stoll's own studies indicate that boosting their intake can reduce depression symptoms. And Stoll cites stacks of additional studies suggesting that omega-3s can also help with major depression, schizophrenia, and postpartum depression. Going even further, Stoll makes a strong argument that omega-3 deficiency could be contributing to rising rates of teen violence and attention deficit disorders.

Of course, depression should never be treated without physician supervision. But in laying the groundwork for the omega-3s to emerge as the next big thing in natural depression therapy, Stoll certainly gives us food for thought. --Norine Dworkin

About the Author:

Andrew L. Stoll, M.D., is Director of the Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory at McLean Hospital in Boston and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, as well as the recipient of the 1999 Klerman Award from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression for the studies described in this book. He is the author of dozens of academic papers. This is his first book for the general public.

About this edition

• Publisher: Free Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0684871386
• ISBN 13: 9780684871387
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304