Getting hooked on fish can improve your mood

EATING FISH two to three times a week may increase your hap-piness and your children's IQ, according to a doctor who has been studying the effects of fish on moods for more than a decade.

Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, who has researched the role of nutrition in mental health for agencies including the National Institutes of Health, said Americans worry too much about contaminated seafood.

These worries, he contends, contributed to eating habits that relegate fish to an occasional meal, when Americans would be better off eating fish several times a week.

I heard Hibbeln, of the U.S. Public Health Service, speak at the American Dietetic Association in Chicago late last year and want to share highlights of his important talk.

Especially now, with the economy in turmoil and many people suffering from seasonal depression, the psychological powers of fish are worth discussing.

FISH BOOSTS MOODS

The omega-3 fats in fish "have more of an effect on depression than most antidepressants," Hibbeln said during his talk in Chicago.

Researchers in one study gave fish oil and dummy pills to people who were so depressed they had already harmed themselves. After 12 weeks, Hibbeln said, the group taking fish oil had a 50 percent drop in depression.

"When DHA [a component of fish oil] was deficient, the foot is on the emotional gas--these people were depressed, anxious and hyperactive," Hibbeln said.

Seafood deficiency may also increase violence. Hibbeln said two studies of prisoners found that giving them a multivitamin and fish-oil supplement reduced repeat convictions.

"We could get a 40 percent reduction in felony-level violence just by adding a multivitamin and omega-3 supplement," Hibbeln said. "In these hard economic times, this could save a lot of money for states."

Hibbeln seems a bit ahead of the psychiatric community--the medical literature supports some positive effects from taking fish oil and calls for more research. Several studies have shown a link between fish oil and reduced depression. And fish oil is also helpful to people suffering from high triglycerides.

But I could not find any group calling for widespread use of fish oil yet.

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DELICIOUS SALMON LOAF

Makes 8 servings

cup minced onion 2 stalks celery, minced 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 tablespoon dried parsley 2 eggs cup ground flax seed or wheat germ cup milk (nonfat or other) 1 (16-ounce) can boneless salmon Optional toppings: cup marinara sauce, pesto or cream of mushroom soup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Saute onion and celery in canola oil.

3. Beat eggs.

4. In large bowl, mix all ingredients.

5. Spoon mixture into loaf pan, and level with the back of a spoon. Add optional topping if desired.

6. Bake for one hour.

Nutritional information per serving (without topping): 126 calories, 11 g protein, 9 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 38 mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 125 mg calcium, 300 mg sodium

Recipe adapted from: Lorraine Weber (Motl's grandmother)

Jennifer Motl is a registered dietitian. Formerly of Fredericksburg, she now lives in Wisconsin.

Date published: 1/18/2009

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