Baseline serum n‐3 eicosapentaenoic acid concentration is associated with subsequent mood disturbance during the acute stress of military survival school training

Abstract

Observational data suggest positive relationships between n‐3 fatty acids (FA) and mental health. FA metabolism may be disrupted in depression, but relationships between n‐3 FAs and acute stress have not been examined. Thus, we utilized multiple regression modeling to determine associations between fasted baseline serum n‐3 FA expressed as % of total FA [α‐linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6)]; midday baseline saliva hormone concentrations; and mood among US Army Soldiers (n=59, 26.9±2.9 y) during Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape (SERE) school. Mood, assessed by the Profile of Mood States, was evaluated following an acutely stressful simulated interrogation conducted during ~12 days of intermittent sleep and food deprivation. ALA was associated with increased cortisol (p<0.01), and EPA was inversely associated with testosterone (p=0.04) and dehydroepiandrosterone‐sulfate (p=0.02), after adjustment for covariates. EPA was associated with increased total mood disturbance (p=0.01), tension (p=0.02), depression (p=0.03), anger (p=0.05), fatigue (p=0.02), and confusion (p=0.01), after adjustment for hormones and covariates. These data suggest higher EPA levels prior to stress exposure may be negatively associated with acute stress resilience.Grant Funding Source: Office of Naval Research/US Army Medical and Research Materiel Command