Suicide stats could lead US military's omega-3s charge

High rates of depression and suicide among soldiers have put omega-3s on the radar of the US military, but where does the science stand, and how can the potential benefits be best delivered to soldiers on the front line?

At the recent SupplySide West event in Las Vegas, Mike Stones talked to Adam Ismail, executive director of GOED (Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s) about opportunities for omega-3 in active service personnel.

"The benefits of omega-3 are multi-factorial, and in a combat environment - and even in peace time - there are a lot of potential benefits for omega-3," explained Ismail.

"It depends on the dosage, but it ultimately you want to measure where the soldiers are in terms of baseline levels now and some of that work is being done," said Ismail. "You need to start there, and then what is the omega-3 level you need to get to, and that may determine - if it's extremely high levels you need to get to - then perhaps supplementation is the best way."