My neighbor Steve and I are nutrition buffs. He more so than I. He's a doctor and has studied the subject for about thirty years. One day while we were enjoying our grass fed burgers at one of our back yard barbecues, he let me in on some shocking nutritional data.
You might be aware of newer studies that have shown that depression can be caused by an incorrect ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fats in our diets. You may be aware that grass fed beef has a better balance towards Omega 3's than commercial beef (you want more Omega 3 than Omega 6 in your diet for a good balance). And you may know that processed foods are loaded with Omega 6's and mess with your ratios. However, this next bit was a surprise to me. Studies have shown that the ratios of*"skitzophrenics" are wildly askew. A normal ratio would be something like 1:1 or 1: 4, but the average "skitzophrenic" has a ratio more like 1:71. I don't know about you, but I'm going to be watching my Omega balance from now on! I'm not going to get mine tested. I'm just going to try and stay on the right path.
Where do you get the good stuff and where are you getting the bad stuff? Crunchy food (all those good tasting chips and crackers) and commercially grown meats are high in Omega 6. Fish oil is high in Omega 3. I figure that in helping those who are depressed, its going to be difficult for most people to lay off the chips, particularly my chip loving older relatives. But Steve tells me that supplementation with a good fish oil has helped many elderly patients feel less inflammation, and to feel less depressed.
*Steve and I are Scientologists, and as such, we don't really use the term "skitzophrenia", as that is a psychiatric diagnosis that could misdefine the problem or leave out vital data to help the severely mentally distressed. There is an abundance of information on the nature of what psychiatrists call "skitzoprenia" in the book Dianetics the Modern Science of Mental Health, by L. Ron Hubbard. There is a facinating section of the book in which Mr. Hubbard defines the problem more broadly, and by doing so, leads the way for effective mental techniques to help in its resolution.
