To answer the question of Omega 3 fatty acids and their relationship to depression, let’s go back to when your great-grandfather was a little boy. He most likely would have been regularly dosed with Cod Liver Oil, directly from a bottle. This sort of supplementation was common in post-WW2 Europe and North America, with people suffering the after-effects of rationing and poor diets, but died out to a great degree during the 1960’s.

Perhaps surprisingly, it did not make a strong comeback with the natural food movement during the 1970’s.

Why not? Fish oil not only tastes, well, fishy, but the natural food trend at the time leaned heavily towards vegetarianism.

And what’s the relationship between Omega 3 and Cod Liver Oil? They’re both the same thing – and yet not. The bottle of Cod Liver Oil your great-grandfather ran from and fought so hard to avoid taking cost pennies, and was considered a bare necessity.

Your bottle of premium Omega 3/DHA fish oil supplement may cost half your grocery bill for the week.

But both help in the fight against depression. More than that, one of the main reasons Omega 3 oil has become expensive is its admitted effectiveness in combating:

• Cognitive problems in children
• Dysfunction in motor skill ability
• ADHD
• Depression
• Some learning disability symptoms

In short, 21st century diets are suspected of shorting out DHA (Docosapentaenoic acid), a crucial fatty acid normally found in the brain – and the most essential component of Omega 3. With our dizzying selection of highly processed and chemically-engineered foods, Omega 3 now has to be artificially supplemented in many children’s diets.

Why Do Modern Omega 3 Capsules Cost More Than Great-Grandpa’s Cod Liver Oil?

Well, for one thing, back in great-grandpa’s day, fish-oils contained mostly EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid.) Nowadays, the label “Omega 3” means that top manufacturers like Xtend-Life, of New Zealand, have gone to extra expense and trouble to boost its DHA content. Studies have shown that DHA has a better effect in combating the above symptoms in adults and children, rather than EPA (which is much cheaper to extract.)

When you are buying Omega 3 supplements, however, pay attention to 2 things:

• The smell – it should not smell “fishy”, a sign of stale oil
• The source – Is it from a chemically compromised area of the ocean?

Xtend-Life’s supplement in particular does not come from the now highly-polluted and over fished North Sea, but from the Southern Ocean near their native New Zealand. They extract their oil from 2 distinct fish, the Hoki and the Tuna. Natural triglycerides are provided by the Hoki fish, their effect boosted by concentrated oil from the Tuna, as extensive testing proves.

In addition, rather than using fish oil extracted from fish meal ground on board the ship, Xtend-Life’s exclusively-contracted fishing company goes to great lengths to preserve each whole fish in “just-caught” condition, using nitrogen blankets and Spacekraft containers, with the temperature at a precise 2°C.

Any fish oil or Omega 3 you purchase should come with a COA (certificate of analysis), says Warren Matthews, the founder of Xtend-Life. He points the way to independent compelling evidence that Xtend-Life’s Omega 3 possesses a noticeable lack of chemical pollutants, with only the most miniscule, scientifically-discernable traces of mercury, dioxin and PCB’s.

Omega 3 also benefits those suffering from muscular or bone pain, having anti-inflammatory properties. Since this is a strong symptom of more than one type of depression, it offers depression sufferers a double-duty relief and benefit. (It’s reported to be easier on the stomach, too.)

And I’m sure my great-grandfather would tell you – it goes down a whole lot easier than Cod Liver Oil. With no nasty after taste!