How An Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency Can Cause Depression

…and what you can do about it.

Photo by jonathan ocampo on Unsplash

Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that humans and other animals must ingest because the body requires them for good health but cannot synthesize them. A deficiency of them can lead to serious clinical depression

The term “essential fatty acid” refers to fatty acids required for biological processes but does not include the fats that only act as fuel. Essential fatty acids should not be confused with essential oils that are “essential” in the sense of being a concentrated essence.

How does this type of depression come about?

Many researchers believe that there is a close link between cell membrane fluidity, dietary fat, and neurological and psychiatric conditions especially depression. With greater amounts of saturated fat in our diet, our receptors are less likely to respond effectively to neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin.

Diets that are rich in unsaturated fats, particularly the omega-3 fatty acids, seem to reduce some types of depression. However unsaturated fats are not the best choices. Sunflower oil, soybean…