Journal of Neuroscience and Behavioural Health Vol. 2(4), pp. 44-50, December 2010 Available online http://www.academicjournals.org/JNBH ISSN 2141-2286 ©2010 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Relation between depression and Omega-3 fatty acids: A study in the Greek population Archaniotis I. Vasilios 1 , Wozniak Greta 2 *, Zoe Roupa 2 , Mouzas D. Odysseas 3 and Constantinos Tsipras 4 1 Primary Health Care Course Program, Medical School, University of Thessaly, Mezourlo, Larissa, Greece. 2 Department of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Mezourlo, Larissa, Greece. 3 Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Thessaly, Mezourlo, Larissa, Greece. 4 Endocrinologist, Outwards Patients, Athens, Greece. Accepted 2 November, 2010 The role of essential fatty acids in the human body and especially the decreased levels of it in patients with depression is a domain of interest for many researchers. The aim of the present study is to investigate the correlation between consumption of food rich in omega-3 fatty acids and depressive symptoms in the general population at the area of Larissa, central Greece. The sample consisted of 300 individuals (mean age 41.01, 137 men (46%) and 163 women (54%), randomly selected by the method of stratified multistage sampling. The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were used in order to investigate the relationship between food consumption and depression. A statistically significant negative correlation was detected between fish consumption and score at the BDI-II (-0.451, p<0.01). As concern the kind of fish consumed by our sample, statistically significant negative correlation was also detected by Pearson's Correlation Test. Individuals with increased consumption of fatty fish (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) have reduced scores at the BDI-II (- 0.453, p<0.01). The same statistical difference was found among the combined consumption of fish, seafood and food supplements (containing omega-3 fatty acids) and BDI-II score (-0.480, p<0.01). Finally, the combined consumption of fruit, vegetables and nuts was negatively correlated with BDI-II score (-0.260, p<0.01). The present study indicates that depressed mood in our sample is negatively associated with dietary intakes of food rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It is also clear that omega-3 fatty acids should be delivered in a dietary framework that includes and other important nutrients contained in fruits, vegetables and nuts. Key words: Omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, depression, nutrition, general population. INTRODUCTION An emerging research sector analyses the neurobehavioral aspects of omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid) and their important role in the function of the central nervous system. Many studies have reported a decrease in the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in patients with depression *Corresponding author. E-mail: greta@med.uth.gr. Tel. +306972661842. (Adams et al., 1996, Maes et al., 1998). Fish contain high concentrations of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It has been suggested that the inadequate consumption of fish can increase the occurrence of depression, as EPA and DHA are crucial for the optimal function of neurons and come from the consumption of fish (Timonen et al., 2004). Long chain omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids and have a vegetable or sea origin. As these important fatty acids cannot be created in the human