First and foremost, especially with pregnant women as the above study suggests, the use of omega-3 oils is an absolute must. It is also clear that omega-3 fat supplementation and restriction of omega-6 fats will profoundly improve the brain function.

Dr. Stoll, director of the psychopharmacology research lab at Boston's McLean Hospital and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, discusses this extensively in his book The Omega-3 Connection. He also reviews the new evidence supporting the use of omega-3 oils for depression.

However, as the FDA and EPA both strongly state, pregnant women should avoid fish as most are contaminated with mercury that can cause neurodevelopmental delays in about 10 percent of children.

Fortunately, you do have viable options for obtaining the nutritious benefits of fish without worrying about mercury contamination. Early last year we did extensive testing on fish from a company that takes the salmon from the interior of Alaska and were surprised and delighted to find that the mercury levels were virtually undetectable.

If you enjoy the delicious taste and immense health benefits of some of the world's finest salmon--Alaskan wild red--but you are concerned about the mercury and other toxins now found in dangerous amounts in almost all fish, then please consider trying the Alaskan wild red salmon from Vital Choice that tested safe and is now available in our Web site store.

Additionally, regularly consuming high-quality fish oil will also provide you with the outstanding health benefits of omega-3.

When choosing your fish oil or cod liver oil, it is important to remember that not all brands are the same. In my research--and in my clinical experience with my patients--I have found that 1) the liquid form is superior to capsules; 2) that certain brands definitely seem inferior to others; 3) that the Carlson's brand of fish oil/cod liver oil is of an exceptional quality and purity. It is likely not the only brand in the world of such high quality, but up to this point it is the only one of such quality that I can recommend, so I now have the Carlson's fish oil and cod liver oil available on Mercola.com; you can also check your local health food store to see if they carry it.

So what is the difference between fish oil and cod liver oil? In short, fish oil should be consumed in warm weather months and warm climates, while cod liver oil should be consumed in cool weather months and cool climates. Cod liver oil is high in vitamin D (and vitamin A); those in cool weather climates do not generally get enough vitamin D. However, in warm weather, their vitamin D is usually sufficient, as sunshine is one of the primary methods of obtaining this vitamin; if you consume too much vitamin D in these warm weather months, you do risk overdosing.

A reasonable dose for both fish oil and cod liver oil is one teaspoon for every 50 pounds of body weight daily.

Rather than using antidepressants to treat depression, it sure seems to make a lot more sense to use the simple therapies recommended above, which are far more effective and virtually non-toxic.

However, antidepressants are the top-selling therapeutic drug class, with $12.5 billion in retail sales annually, so it is easy to see why many people use a drug-based solution to address depression.

While second generation antidepressants have traditionally been believed to be safe during pregnancy, at least one study has shown that antidepressant drug Paxil may cause withdrawal symptoms in babies once they are born.

While I am certain that some women benefit in some ways from their use, these drugs are in no way, shape or form ever responsible for improving the underlying cause of depression.

Related Articles:

Antidepressant in Pregnancy Not a Great Idea

Toxicology: How Mercury Harms Humans

Accuracy of Hair Mineral Analysis

Mercury In Your Fish

Danger -- Higher Mercury Levels in Fish Are Slowly Killing You

Diet, Not Fillings, is Your Major Source of Mercury Risk

Finally, FDA Radically Lowers Safe Mercury Level