Can fish oil lift depression in obese adults?
NCT ID NCT07439744
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether taking omega-3 (EPA) supplements for 12 weeks can reduce depressive symptoms in overweight or obese adults who have depression and low omega-3 levels. Half of the 50 participants will receive EPA, and half will receive a placebo. Researchers will also look at how inflammation, diet, and gut bacteria relate to mood changes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 fatty acid
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple dietary supplement option for reducing depression in overweight people with low omega-3 levels.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 50 participants. The effect may be modest or no better than placebo, and results may not apply to everyone with depression.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a government body.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 54 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Major depressive disorder. * Antidepressant drug-free. Exclusion Criteria: * Schizophrenia * Mania * Anxiety disorders (except for social phobia and generalized anxiety that are often comorbid with MDD) * Obsessive-compulsive disorder * Post-traumatic stress disorder * Alcohol or drug abuse/dependence (except for nicotine) * Active suicidal ideation * Serious medical/neurological conditions, especially requiring corticosteroid/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive therapies or chronic thyroid hormone replacement
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Mind Body Interface Research Center (MBI Lab & Care)
RECRUITINGTaichung, Taichung, 404, Taiwan
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