Nutritional Vitamins & Health Supplements for Manic-Depressive Disorder

People diagnosed with depression may have lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids. A double-blind trial found that bipolar patients taking 9.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil per day in addition to their conventional medications had significant improvements compared with those taking placebo. Similar benefits were reported in a preliminary trial that used 1.5 to 2 grams per day of pure eicosapentaenoic acid, a component of fish oil.

L-tryptophan is the amino acid used by the body to produce serotonin, a chemical messenger important for proper brain function. Supplementation with L-tryptophan has led to improvement in depression in many studies, but information is limited about its effect on bipolar disorder. Case reports on two bipolar patients treated with lithium or an antidepressant drug described marked improvements when they were given 12 grams daily of L-tryptophan. Two trials using 6 grams of L-tryptophan daily for acute mania in patients with bipolar disorder found little or no improvement, but another double-blind, controlled study using 9.6 grams daily reported better results.

L-tryptophan is converted to 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) before it becomes serotonin in the body. In a controlled trial, 200 mg daily of supplemental 5-HTP had antidepressant effects in bipolar patients, though it was not as effective as lithium. In a double-blind trial, patients with bipolar disorder had greater improvement with a combination of 5-HTP at 300 mg daily plus an antidepressant drug than with 5-HTP alone...