One of the interesting things you pick up on from reading supplement blogs and fitness forums is that a lot of people have negative reactions to Omega 3 supplements. If you search for “omega-3 depression” you find a lot of stories from people whose depression started or worsened with omega-3 supplements, and resolved later.
This is a particularly interesting find given that the placebo effect would be expected to go in the opposite direction: Many of these people started the supplement because they thought it was going to improve their health, not worsen it. It can take a very long time to recognize the connection between the supplement and side effects.
Several other supplements are common contributors to depressive symptoms. Choline supplements often make irritability and depression worse. This finding isn’t surprising given that cholinergic signaling has been known to be associated with depression for decades and many powerful antidepressants are anticholinergic. Yet you can find a lot of supplement sellers pushing choline supplements as something that automatically improves brain health.
Regardless of personal reports you mention, choline is a very interesting substance due to demonstrated long-term attention benefits in children after being administered to their mothers during pregnancy: https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1096/fj.2021012...
This is as close to "life-changing" as it gets with these substances.
I'm curious as to what papers mention this! Quickly pulling up one related appears to clearly support EPA omega 3 supplementation being a beneficial tool to help with depression.
This is a particularly interesting find given that the placebo effect would be expected to go in the opposite direction: Many of these people started the supplement because they thought it was going to improve their health, not worsen it. It can take a very long time to recognize the connection between the supplement and side effects.
Several other supplements are common contributors to depressive symptoms. Choline supplements often make irritability and depression worse. This finding isn’t surprising given that cholinergic signaling has been known to be associated with depression for decades and many powerful antidepressants are anticholinergic. Yet you can find a lot of supplement sellers pushing choline supplements as something that automatically improves brain health.