For several years I have been casually following developments in research of omega-3 fatty acids. These chemicals were initially found to increase heart health by maintaining and improving vascular health, but in recent years their effects on depression were discovered as a side-effect of earlier, cardiac-effect clinical trials. This effect involves the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the brain, and is caused by a deficiency of omaga-3 FAs in the diet. This deficiency is also the cause of decreased cardiac health.
Anyway, fast forward to about one month ago. I have been taking the anti-depressant bupropion for almost three years now and while I've had no real problems with it, it is kind of a drag to have to take medication twice every day. So, periodically, I taper myself off of the medicine to assess how I feel without it. Invariably, after one to two weeks without it I begin to get scattered and depressed again. This time I thought that I would try supplementing with alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid, based on several scientific journal articles that I have read recently. I chose 1000 mg gelatin capsules of cold-pressed Flax seed oil, dosing once a day.
I tapered my bupropion dosage down over approximately two weeks, went approximately one week without medication, and began ALA a little over one week ago. I have not relapsed into depression or had scattered thoughts at all. If anything, I would assess my mood as better than when I was taking the bupropion. Coupled with the heart health benefits, these would be fantastic developments all by themselves. However, it gets better.
The past three times that I've indulged in sex with my wife, I noticed that I was HARD... hard in a way that I have not experienced in, apparently, quite a number of years. These woods were profoundly and noticably different than my lately "normal" erections, being absolutely rigid during sex and orgasm, and even remaining hard for minutes afterward. The first time that it happened, I was stoked and felt like a teenager again, but I thought that it must be a fluke. The second time made me ecstatic and suspicious of the ALA, and last night sealed the deal, so to speak.
I got to work this morning and ran several medline searches on omega-3s just to get a look at the literature. Aside from the increase in libido seen in people suffering from depression, I found several papers which report increased vascular distention following acute ALA supplementation. None of these studies looks specifically at penile arterioles, but I supect, based on my recent experiences, that the ALA is causing vascular distension throughout the body. Now that I think about it, this may also be why my blood pressure dropped several days ago... cool.
Obviously, I am not advocating that everyone take omega-3 supplements, or even suggesting that my observations are typical, but this stuff is cheap and available at any pharmacy (I paid $6.50 for 100 gelatin capsules), so trying it can't hurt you and the cardiac benefits alone are worth six and a half cents a day.
Cheers gentlemen!
Gravesubject
Anyway, fast forward to about one month ago. I have been taking the anti-depressant bupropion for almost three years now and while I've had no real problems with it, it is kind of a drag to have to take medication twice every day. So, periodically, I taper myself off of the medicine to assess how I feel without it. Invariably, after one to two weeks without it I begin to get scattered and depressed again. This time I thought that I would try supplementing with alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid, based on several scientific journal articles that I have read recently. I chose 1000 mg gelatin capsules of cold-pressed Flax seed oil, dosing once a day.
I tapered my bupropion dosage down over approximately two weeks, went approximately one week without medication, and began ALA a little over one week ago. I have not relapsed into depression or had scattered thoughts at all. If anything, I would assess my mood as better than when I was taking the bupropion. Coupled with the heart health benefits, these would be fantastic developments all by themselves. However, it gets better.
The past three times that I've indulged in sex with my wife, I noticed that I was HARD... hard in a way that I have not experienced in, apparently, quite a number of years. These woods were profoundly and noticably different than my lately "normal" erections, being absolutely rigid during sex and orgasm, and even remaining hard for minutes afterward. The first time that it happened, I was stoked and felt like a teenager again, but I thought that it must be a fluke. The second time made me ecstatic and suspicious of the ALA, and last night sealed the deal, so to speak.
I got to work this morning and ran several medline searches on omega-3s just to get a look at the literature. Aside from the increase in libido seen in people suffering from depression, I found several papers which report increased vascular distention following acute ALA supplementation. None of these studies looks specifically at penile arterioles, but I supect, based on my recent experiences, that the ALA is causing vascular distension throughout the body. Now that I think about it, this may also be why my blood pressure dropped several days ago... cool.
Obviously, I am not advocating that everyone take omega-3 supplements, or even suggesting that my observations are typical, but this stuff is cheap and available at any pharmacy (I paid $6.50 for 100 gelatin capsules), so trying it can't hurt you and the cardiac benefits alone are worth six and a half cents a day.
Cheers gentlemen!
Gravesubject
