Nutritional Supplements from Fish Against Stress and Depression

We at the EU-funded project AQUABIOPRO-FIT developed nutritional supplements containing proteins and other bioactive ingredients from aquaculture and fisheries by-products. These «elixirs" are specifically designed to help the body naturally cope with particular conditions such as anxiety, and depression.

Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental disorders, and more than 300 million people is estimated to have depression – that is about 4% of the world's population, according to data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015.

Anxiety is characterized by a sense of persistent anxiety that prevents an individual's ability to relax. It may range from anxiety experienced before surgery to the diffuse feeling of nervousness characterized by a generalized anxiety disorder, or even panic attacks and social phobia. Anxiety is also associated with a higher risk of developing a cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, and it is known that nutrient deficiencies have a profound effect on maintaining normal brain function.

A healthy brain is essential to regulating mood, and certain nutrients (or nutrient deficiencies) have a profound impact on maintaining normal brain function. Researchers have studied the association between vitamins, minerals, and specific foods that combat depression and boost our mood. Dietary supplements which fight anxiety and depression symptoms, regulate hormone levels and boost the organism and mind have gained ground over the past decades and have become an integral part of the prevention and treatment of mental illnesses.

Aquaculture and fisheries by-products with high-protein concentration, containing, amino acids, trace elements such as magnesium, zinc, vitamins, 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA) are the good raw materials for producing such a dietary supplement to help the human body to effectively deal with anxiety. In the AQUABIOPRO-FIT project, by making use of sustainable processing technologies, nutritional components will be up-concentrated, resulting in more efficient use of biomass resources and the development of products that offer health benefits to consumers – with low environmental impact.