Omega-3 and vitamin D supplements improve mental health in women with pre-diabetes: Study

Tehran, Iran: Vitamin D and omega-3 co-supplementation can be recommended for improving mental health in women with pre-diabetes and hypovitaminosis D, suggests results from a recent study. The study, published in the journal Brain and Behavior, showed that these two supplements improved depression, anxiety, and sleep quality of this group of women. 

Diabetes has become one of the most common non-communicable diseases in recent years. According to a WHO report, 422 million people worldwide were affected by diabetes in 2014, which is triple the amount as compared to people affected in 1980. Psychological distresses and pre-diabetes are known to be risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes. 

In the present study Mahrokh Dolatian, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, and colleagues aimed to determine the effectiveness of omega-3 and vitamin D co-supplementation on psychological distresses in women of reproductive age with pre-diabetes and hypovitaminosis D.

The study included 168 women of reproductive age with prediabetes and hypovitaminosis D. These participants were selected by stratified random sampling. They were assigned to four groups for 8 weeks: group 1 (placebo group), group 2 (omega-3 group), group 3 (vitamin D group), and group 4 (co-supplement group).

The medication and placebo dose were two 1000-mg tablets each day for omega-3 and 50,000-IU pearls every 2 weeks for vitamin D. Fasting blood sugar and vitamin D were measured at the beginning of the study. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were completed by the participants at the start and end of the intervention.

In terms of reduction in anxiety and improvement in sleep quality, the researchers observed a significant difference in the co-supplementation compared to the other three groups. Also, there was a significant difference between the group receiving both supplements and the group receiving only placebos in terms of reduction in depression and stress.

The researchers conclude, "the concurrent intake of vitamin D and omega-3 improved depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in women of reproductive age with pre-diabetes and hypovitaminosis D and can therefore be recommended for improving mental health in this group of women."

Reference:

The study titled, "Effect of omega-3 and vitamin D co-supplementation on psychological distress in reproductive-aged women with pre-diabetes and hypovitaminosis D: A randomized controlled trial," is published in the journal Brain and Behavior. 

DOI: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.2342