Medical Questions » Mental Health Questions » Question No. 1573
| Question: | I am a schizophrenic and vegan, and am concerned that I am unable to convert EPA from flax seeds. What dosage would you recommend? |
| Answer: | Many schizophrenics have been found to be deficient in the omega-3 fats DHA and EPA, which are essential for optimal brain function. These fats are found in oily fish and the oils extracted from them, but strict vegans would not regard that as an option. Your best option is therefore flax seeds, which contain the omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) that can be converted by the body into EPA and DHA. However, as you' ve indicated, there can be a catch: quite a few people have a lazy enzyme that cannot convert ALA into DHA and EPA so easily. Now, you can take a vegan algae supplement to get the DHA, but it is the EPA that has proven helpful for some people with schizophrenia. It' s up to you: either eat a heaped tablespoon of flax seeds a day in the hope that it will do the job, or break the rules and take a fish oil supplement.
And that' s not the whole story. Further research has shown that the majority of people diagnosed with schizophrenia have an over-active enzyme, called phospholipase A2, that strips fat from the brain, hence increasing their need for both omega-3 and omega-6 fats. That means that supplementing with both omega-3 s and omega-6s - EPA, DHA and GLA, the most important omega-6 fat - is the best choice. With that in mind, and given that not all schizophrenics respond well to essential fatty acid supplementation anyway, I' d recommend you see a nutritional therapist to sort out the best route for you. |
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