By Alyssa Beiss, Acupuncture Denver Staff

In my quest to find more natural ways to quiet my mind, I've come across a significant body of research linking consumption of Omega-rich foods with lower levels of stress and anxiety. We've all heard fish referred to as “brain food” and I think I finally understand why. I recently upped my dosage of EPA/DHA (fish oil) to over 2000mg daily and I have quickly noticed an improvement in my overall mood, mental clarity and ability to maintain focus. These are all things that I've struggled with in the past, so to experience some improvement without having to turn to pharmaceuticals has been such a relief!

While it is well-known that fish oil can support cardiovascular health and studies are finding a strong correlation with its benefits for mental health, it’s currently being studied for a host of other ailments as well. Everything from Alzheimer’s disease, autism, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, lupus and multiple sclerosis have shown some benefit from increased EPA/DHA use. Some research is pointing to the high fish consumption by Eskimos as (at least part of) an explanation for their low incidences of illnesses including rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. It’s also been shown to be important for proper brain development and possibly immune development of babies during pregnancy. Bottom line: everyone should take it! And, if you’re concerned with the “fish burps” that sometimes accompany taking fish oil supplements, we carry Pharmax capsules which have essential oil of orange added to mask the taste.