Effects of fish oil intake on psychological state including sense of happiness of healthy young people

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of fish oil consumption on the psychological well-being, including happiness, of healthy young individuals. Fifteen volunteers aged 18-29 were divided into two groups: a fish oil intake group and a vitamin E intake group. Changes in emotional behavior were examined in the two groups before and after eight weeks of intake. Using the WHO Quality of Life 26 questionnaire, it was found that the “psychological domain” and “average” scores of the fish oil intake group significantly increased after taking the fish oil. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between the “n-6/n-3 ratio”， “EPA intake” and the score change in the five items in all volunteers. Regarding changes in POMS2 raw scores before and after a mental arithmetic task, scores for ‘anger-hostility’ and ‘tension-anxiety’ decreased significantly in the fish oil intake group after supplementation. In the Dictator Game, no change was observed in the amount contributed to the lottery loser from the reward fund in either group. However, there was a significant correlation between the ‘n-6/n-3 ratio’ in the dietary surveys and the contribution amount before the intake period began. When salivary cortisol levels were measured after the mental arithmetic task, a significant decrease was observed in the fish oil intake group compared to the vitamin E intake group. These results suggest that fish oil intake influences the emotional behavior of healthy young people.