The DHA controversy

[Guest guest]

The DHA controversy. Can you and all please react to the following. I will appreciate.

The UK psychiatrist Dr. Basant Puri holds the view that DHA in high dose may be harmful. He refers to his book to support his point. I have not read his book. But I can’t believe that DHA is harmful. Of course anything in excess is harmful—even water and oxygen. The same argument is advanced against vitamin A. My reasons are as below:

DHA is made by the body from EPA. If it were harmful, why would body make it?

But it can be argued that DHA taken with EPA in most capsules will be harmful because it is coming in from outside the body, the body is not making it according to its need. I counter: Even if the DHA is taken from outside, the body will NOT convert EPA into DHA and will use the EPA for other purpose and use the ready DHA for what it needs.

DHA has its unique use. Clinically, DHA is to control mania (am I right?) and EPA is to control or lift up depression. Both are needed to stabilize the mood in bipolars. Just EPA in bipolars will not do. In unipolar depression just EPA alone may be relevant.

 

DHA is essential in infancy and earlier to develop the structural wiring of the nervous system. The EPA is essential for the functioning of the nervous system, myelination insulation etc..My hunch is that, admittedly in low amount, DHA is required in adult life too. Suppose we eat a lot of fish. Will it be harmful to us just because our body will make DHA from it? In the early study seven capsules of fish oil daily were used and significant benefit was observed in depression. Why? Why did the DHA in there not harm the patients? In this context, can anyone please tell what are the results of Stoll’s second study and what is his latest position on the issue? In one study omega3 (it means both EPA and DHA or just EPA?) or rather mixture of EPA and DHA to the dose of 9,600mg was used with significant benefit in depression. I have used the mixture of EPA and DHA of 6,900mg in the case of one physician who was severely depressed for seven years with suicidal ideation. He started to respond in seven to ten days and was completely out of depression in one month.

6. Perhaps we should do away with the artificial division of bipolars and unipolars. We should rather focus on how to remove depression and when to stop treating depression and what is the right ratio of EPA, DHA, GLA to maintain the stability of the mood rather than trigger manic episodes by excess EPA, as that mania will soon burn out the patient and result into depression again.

In this context, will it not be the easier-way-out to give whole fish oil rather than bothering about the EPA and DHA and let the body take care of the ratios? Thanks. Ratan.

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Ratan SinghM.A. (Psychol), Postgraduate Diploma in Medical & Social Psychology, Ph.D.Certified Behavior Therapist (from late Prof. J. Wolpe's Unit)Hypnotist, Biofeedback and Meditation Therapist.Family and Marital and Sex Therapist.Consultant in Jaipur Hospital, India.psych_58, www.jaipurmart.com/trade/meditationandhealth,meditationandcancer-

[Guest guest]

Hello Ratan-

It could be useful to test a person’s

fatty acid balance before supplementing with high doses of isolated DHA, but

saying that taking DHA is harmful doesn’t make much sense. Cod liver oil

has a long history of benefit, and people have been eating EPA/DHA-containing

fatty fish for centuries. There is plenty of evidence that DHA is critically

needed, and it is true that some (many?) people are not able to efficiently

convert other omega 3s to DHA, in which case it would be highly beneficial to

supplement.

 

Personally, I take a good quality cod

liver oil, which has helped alleviate a problem I had with frequent migraines. There

is conflicting information “out there” on many topics. If you have

knowledge on fatty acids in particular, as well as clinical successes using

them, I wouldn’t put too much stock in what one “expert” has

to say.

 

The other part of my answer is that this could

be related to timing (if it came out recently). Because of the international push

to eliminate the availability of quality, safe natural supplements, quite a bit

is being “spun” to the media (who happily pass this nonsense on to

us) by entities promoting the upcoming CODEX/European Union draconian

supplement regulations. A disinformation campaign is underway, using “junk

science” and information used out of context, to convince people that

supplements are dangerous and unnecessary. Articles have come out in recent

memory saying that vitamin C and vitamin E are harmful. (It’s too bad

most people that hear or read this “rubbish” believe it without any

critical thought.)

 

There may be some truth to what the doc

has to say, but in my experience, these types of things should be taken with a

grain of salt. Having at least a bit of knowledge of fatty acids, in general,

allows one to better evaluate information that comes along, and it sounds like

you are knowledgeable on the subject.

Regards,

Dana

 

 

Dr. Ratan Singh

[psych_58]

 

 

The DHA controversy.

Can you and all please react to the following. I will appreciate.

The UK psychiatrist Dr. Basant Puri holds the view that DHA in high

dose may be harmful. He refers to his book to support his point. I have not

read his book. But I can’t believe that DHA is harmful. Of course

anything in excess is harmful—even water and oxygen. The same argument is

advanced against vitamin A. . . .