Valentina Ciappolino, Alessandra Mazzocchi, Paolo Enrico, Marie-Louise Syrén, Giuseppe Delvecchio, Carlo Agostoni, Paolo Brambilla
Journal: International journal of molecular sciences 2018;19(7):1849
PMID: 29937484
Women going through the menopause may be at a higher risk of depression possibly due to extreme hormonal fluctuations. Side effects of hormonal treatments may encourage women to seek alternative therapies for menopausal symptoms. This systematic review aimed to determine the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fats on symptoms such as depression and hot flushes, which are often associated with menopause. The studies on menopausal depression and hot flushes were inconclusive and often small. As a result, definitive recommendations regarding the use of omega-3 fats for the treatment of major depressive episodes and hot flushes in menopausal women was difficult. It was concluded that larger, higher quality studies on the use of Omega-3 for the management of symptoms of depression and hot flushing in menopausal women. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand that there may be a lack of research to support the use of omega-3 for the management of symptoms in menopausal women.
Depression is one of the most important health problems worldwide. Women are 2.5 times more likely to experience major depression than men. Evidence suggests that some women might experience an increased risk for developing depression during “windows of vulnerability”, i.e., when exposed to intense hormone fluctuations, such as the menopause transition. Indeed, this period is associated with different symptoms, including vasomotor, depressive, and cognitive symptoms, which have all been shown to worsen as women approach menopause. Even though hormonal therapy represents the most effective treatment, side effects have been reported by several studies. Therefore, an increased number of women might prefer the use of alternative medicine for treating menopausal symptoms. N-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs) are included among these alternative treatments. We here provide a review of studies investigating the effects of n-3 LCPUFAs on hot flashes and depressive and cognitive disorders in menopausal women. The reported results are scattered and heterogeneous. In conclusion, a beneficial role of n-3 LCPUFAs in hot flashes, and depressive and cognitive symptoms related to menopausal transition is still far from conclusive.
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