Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Mental Health

There are several risk factors associated with the onset of type-II diabetes, including psychological stress and pre-diabetic states. In this randomized control trial by Rajabi‐Naeeni et al. (2021), the authors investigated the efficacy of omega-3 and vitamin D co-supplementation on improving psychological distresses in 168 women of reproductive age suffering from pre-diabetes and hypovitaminosis D. The participants were randomized into four groups for the duration of the experiment (8 weeks), a placebo group (group 1), omega-3 group (group 2, 1,000 mg tablets), vitamin D group (group 3, 50,000 IU pearls) and a co-supplement group (group 4). The participants had their fasting blood glucose and vitamin D measured at the beginning of the study and were evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the intervention using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale‐21 and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The results demonstrated a substantial reduction in symptoms of anxiety, and improved sleep quality with co-supplementation in comparison to the other three groups. The co-supplementation group also experienced substantial reductions in depression and stress when compared to the placebo group. Thus, the authors highlight the impact of vitamin D and omega-3 co-supplementation on ameliorating depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in reproductive-age women suffering from pre-diabetes and hypovitaminosis D, and recommend these two supplements to enhance the mental health of this particular population.