Heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish, may give a boost to behavior, mood and personality, new research suggests.

    fatty acid n. 脂肪酸　boost n. 幫助、鼓舞、提高

    University of Pittsburgh researchers found that volunteers with lower blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were more likely than others to be impulsive, to have a more negative outlook, and to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression. Study participants with higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were found to be more agreeable, however. 

    polyunsaturated adj. 多未飽和的　impulsive adj. 沖動的　negative adj. 消極的

    symptom n.癥狀　depression n.沮喪、消沉　agreeable adj.愜意的、使人愉快的

    The findings were presented Friday at the American Psychosomatic Society meeting, in Denver. 

    "A number of previous studies have linked lower levels of omega-3 to clinically significant conditions such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse and attention-deficit disorder," Sarah Conklin, a postdoctoral scholar with the psychiatry department's Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program, said in prepared statement. 

    bipolar disorder 兩極性精神紊亂 schizophrenia 精神分裂癥 psychiatry 精神病學

    "However, few studies have shown that these relationships also occur in healthy adults. This study opens the door for future research looking at what effect increasing omega-3 intake, whether by eating omega-3 rich foods like salmon, or taking fish-oil supplements, has on people's mood," Conklin said.

    salmon n. 鮭魚、大麻哈魚

    中文：

    最新公布的一項研究結果顯示，通常存在于魚肉中的omega-3脂肪酸不僅有益于人體心臟健康，還可能改善個人行為方式并對心情與性格產生激勵作用。 

    據美國“每日健康”（HealthDay News）網站3月4日報道，美國匹茲堡大學研究人員近日研究發現，在參加研究的志愿者中，血液中omega-3多不飽和脂肪酸含量較低的人比較容易沖動，他們對未來的看法更消極，更多地呈現出輕度或中度的抑郁癥狀。然而，那些血液中omega-3含量較高的參與者卻顯得更加氣順心和。這項研究成果是3月3日在美國身心健康協會年度會議上被公諸于眾的。 

    正在匹茲堡大學從事博士后研究工作的莎拉-康克林表示，“通過此前多次研究，科學家認為血液中omega-3脂肪酸含量較低與嚴重抑郁癥、兩極性精神紊亂（特點為躁狂與抑郁并發）、精神分裂癥、濫用藥物以及注意力不集中等臨床癥狀有關”“但此前很少有研究顯示上述聯系（omega-3脂肪酸含量低與臨床病癥有關）也會發生在健康的成年人身上”。那么，omega-3脂肪酸攝入量的增加到底會對一個人的情緒產生何種影響呢？康克林說，3日公布的研究結果為將來同類研究提供了線索。