Fish Oil May Be Helpful in Preventing Suicide Among Veterans

(Newswire.net — December 21, 2018) Orlando, FL — Suicide is one of the most tragic decisions that people can make in their life. Unfortunately, there are factors that trigger many individuals to think about ending their life, such as depression. The good news is that there are potential natural alternatives believed to be helpful in preventing suicide.

The military spends millions of dollars to determine if fish oil may be helpful in preventing suicide among veterans. Fish oil contains healthy fats called omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to be responsible for the oil’s potentially therapeutic effects. 

The U.S. Department of Defense invested $10 million to conduct a 3-year study that investigates whether daily consumption of omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the mortality rate associated with suicide among personnel and veterans. 

The military has heightened its focus on suicide prevention, and this is due to the fact that the number of service members who attempted to commit suicide increased dramatically.

According to the data from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, there were 17,754 suicide attempts among veterans. 

The National Institutes of Health researchers believe that intake of omega-3 fatty acids may promote happiness. Omega-3s can be found in plants and fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and halibut.

Since omega-3 fats cannot be produced naturally by the body, they need to be taken from food or through supplementation. 

According to Ron Acierno, researcher and Director of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinic at the Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center in Charleston, omega-3 fats have the potential to repair and regenerate human brain cells.  

Omega-3s are essential for normal brain development and neural function. They have also been found to significantly improve the symptoms of depression.

The participants were those who talked about suicide and have depression, alcohol problems, or post-traumatic stress disorder. They were also mostly veterans who have been receiving mental health services. They were provided with smoothies that contain omega-3 fats for a period of six months. There was also a placebo group. 

The Veterans’ Administration reveals the 1/5 of the suicides in the United States are committed by veterans. It was also found that the rate of suicide among service members is nearly twice as high as in the general population. 

Omega-3 fats can be efficiently obtained through supplementation. It is believed that supplements contain high concentrations of omega-3s. They can also be easily consumed on a daily basis since they are in a supplement form. 

Fish oil omega-3 supplements are widely available in the market today, and they can even be purchased in just a matter of clicks.

(www.amazon.com/omega-3-fish-oil-vitabreeze/dp/B00O8NS20K)