Joseph R Hibbeln

National Institutes of Health | NIH · National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Introduction Narcissism has been studied for its role in leadership using various versions of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI). Narcissism is described as having a “dark and negative” side as well as a “positive or bright” side. The bright side of narcissism, in particular, has been studied for its role in leadership. In studies among m...

Objective To determine whether dietary interventions that increase n-3 fatty acids with and without reduction in n-6 linoleic acid can alter circulating lipid mediators implicated in headache pathogenesis, and decrease headache in adults with migraine. Design Three arm, parallel group, randomized, modified double blind, controlled trial. Setting...

Studies have assessed omega-3 fatty acids and cognitive decline among older adults and cognitive development among children, although less is known about cognitive or neurological effects among young adults. We examined whether omega-3 supplementation from krill oil could improve cognition and resilience among young military officers compared to a...

Objectives Previous work suggests supplementation with omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may improve mood symptoms in bipolar disorder (BD) although findings remain unclear. In this study we assess the efficacy of omega‐3 PUFA administration for prophylaxis in BD using a clinical trial design over 52‐weeks (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:...

Deficiencies of many nutrients in pregnancy have adverse effects on fetal brain development with consequent impaired cognitive function in childhood. However, it is unclear whether deficiencies of vitamin B12 prenatally are harmful to the developing fetus. We therefore used the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children to test the hypothesis...

Background PUFAs play vital roles in the development, maintenance, and functioning of circuitries that regulate reward and social behaviors. Therefore, modulations in PUFA concentrations of these brain regions may disrupt reward and social circuitries contributing to mood disorders, developmental disabilities, and addictions. Though much is known a...

Background Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels have been implicated in the pathology of psychotic disorders. We investigated the relationship between childhood PUFA levels and later psychotic experiences (PE's) in a large birth cohort. Methods Plasma levels of Ω-3 and Ω-6 fatty acids (FA's) were assayed at ages 7 and 16 years. PE's...

Introduction: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) are recommended as an integrative treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). In 2019, the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR) developed the first practice guidelines for n-3 PUFA treatment of MDD. To strengthen these guidelines and enhance their clinica...

Deficiency in retinoid acid receptor-related orphan receptor alpha (RORα) of staggerer mice results in extensive granule and Purkinje cell loss in the cerebellum as well as in learned motor deficits, cognition impairments and perseverative tendencies that are commonly observed in autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). The effects of RORα on brain lipid...

Background: Levels of the ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 LC-PUFAs), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been associated with alcohol sensitivity in vertebrate and invertebrate model systems, but prior studies have not examined this association in human samples despite evidence of associations...

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex mental illness with unmet therapeutic needs. The antidepressant effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have been widely reported. The subcommittee of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research organized an expert panel and conducted a literature review and a Delphi proc...

Objectives: Our objective is to examine the effects of lowering dietary omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFA, linoleic acid; LA) and/or supplementation of omega-3 PUFA (n-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid; EPA and DHA) on voluntary ethanol binge drinking and pathway networks involved in the interactions of PUFA and et...

Intake of nutrients fundamental for optimal neuronal function is of increasing interest. The potential importance of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) for optimizing emotional states, cognitive function, and mental health has been demonstrated in observational studies and randomized controlled trials. Omega-3 (HUFAs), specifically EPA...

Introduction/Aim The Western type diet is low in ω‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and rich in ω‐6 PUFAs, which results in an increased ω‐6/ω‐3 PUFA intake ratio, typically ~10:1, whereas it has been estimated that in a Paleolithic diet, the ratio was between 2:1 – 3:1. This dietary imbalance between ω‐6 and ω‐3 PUFAs leads to multiple advers...

The rate at which dietary α-linolenic acid (ALA) is desaturated and elongated to its longer-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in humans is not agreed upon. In this study, we applied a methodology developed using rodents to investigate the whole-body, presumably hepatic, synthesis-secretion rates of esterified n-3 PUFA from circulating une...

Details of the scholastic tests used.

Omega‐3 supplementation has been found to reduce externalizing behavior in children. Reciprocal models of parent‐child behavior suggest that improving child behavior could lead to improvements in parent behavior, however no study has examined whether omega‐3 supplementation in children could reduce intimate partner violence or child maltreatment by...

Background While studies suggest that nutritional supplementation may reduce aggressive behavior in children, few have examined their effects on specific forms of aggression. This study tests the primary hypothesis that omega-3 ( ω -3), both alone and in conjunction with social skills training, will have particular post-treatment efficacy for reduc...

Background Mercury (Hg) has been suspected of causing autism in the past, especially a suspected link with vaccinations containing thiomersal, but a review of the literature shows that has been largely repudiated. Of more significant burden is the total quantity of Hg in the environment. Here, we have used the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and...

There is a public perception that relatively low doses of mercury found in seafood are harmful to the fetal brain but little consistent evidence to support this. In earlier publications we have shown no adverse associations between maternal total blood mercury levels and child behaviour, early development or cognitive function as measured by IQ. Ho...

Objectives To assess whether serum concentrations of saturated (SFAs), polyunsaturated (PUFAs), and monounsaturated (MUFAs) fatty acids are associated with changes in blood pressure (BP) throughout pregnancy. Study design Prospective cohort. Main outcome measures Longitudinal measurements of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP. Methods Two hun...

n -3 Highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), are essential components of neuronal membranes and mediate a range of complex bioactive properties including gene expression, myelination, cell-signalling and dopaminergic function. Deficits in n -3 HUFA have been linked to increased risks for addictive disorders, thus we posited that lower fish consumpti...

Greater fish consumption is associated with improved cognition among children, but the mediating pathways have not been well delineated. Improved sleep could be a candidate mediator of the fish-cognition relationship. This study assesses whether 1) more frequent fish consumption is associated with less sleep disturbances and higher IQ scores in sch...

Migraine is a prevalent neurological disorder, affecting over 16% of adult women and 7% of adult men in the U.S., causing significant pain, disability, and medical expense, with incomplete benefits from conventional medical management. Migraine, as a chronic pain syndrome, provides a practical model for investigating the impact of dietary modificat...

Background: Reducing meat consumption is often advised, however inadvertent nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy may result in residual neurodevelopmental harms to offspring. This study assessed possible effects of maternal diets in pregnancy on adverse substance use among adolescent offspring. Methods: Pregnant women and their 13 year old...

Background: Conflicting evidence concerning possible harm from mercury (Hg) in regard to offspring cognition if the woman eats fish has prompted this study to examine evidence from a British pre-birth cohort to investigate the relationship between the two. Methods: Pregnant women (median prenatal blood mercury 1.86μg/L) resident in the study are...

Background: Vegetarian diets are associate with cardiovascular and other health benefits, but little is known about mental health benefits or risks. Aims: To determine whether self-identification of vegetarian dietary habits is associated with significant depressive symptoms in men. Method: Self-report data from 9668 adult male partners of pre...

Military personnel generally under-consume n-3 fatty acids and overconsume n-6 fatty acids. In a placebo-controlled, double-blinded study, we investigated whether a diet suitable for implementation in military dining facilities and civilian cafeterias could benefit n-3/n-6 fatty acid status of consumers. Three volunteer groups were provided differe...

Prior studies addressing associations between mercury and blood pressure have produced inconsistent findings; some of this may result from measuring total instead of speciated mercury. This cross-sectional study of 263 pregnant women assessed total mercury, speciated mercury, selenium, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in umbilical cord blood and...

Background The apolipoprotein E ɛ4 (APOE4) allele is the strongest genetic risk factor identified for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Among brain lipids, alteration in the ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) homeostasis is implicated in AD pathogenesis. APOE4 may influence both brain DHA metabolism and cognitive outcomes....

Dietary intake during pregnancy may influence child neurodevelopment and cognitive function. This study aims to investigate the associations between dietary patterns obtained in pregnancy and intelligence quotients (IQ) among offspring at 8 years of age. Pregnant women enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children completed a food...

Proportions of omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) in 20- and 22-carbon highly unsaturated fatty acids with 3 or more double bonds (HUFA) accumulated in tissue HUFA (e.g., the %n-6 in HUFA) are biomarkers reflecting intakes of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids. An empirical equation, referred to here as the Lands’ Equation, was developed previously to use dietar...

Human studies and some animal work have shown more docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) was accumulated or converted from precursors in females compared to males. This study explored in-depth the effect of gender on fatty acid composition and polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism in rats fed one of two well-defined diets containing...

Little is known about how dietary patterns of mothers and their children track over time. The objectives of this study are to obtain dietary patterns in pregnancy using cluster analysis, to examine women's mean nutrient intakes in each cluster and to compare the dietary patterns of mothers to those of their children. Pregnant women (n = 12 195) fro...

Objectives To evaluate if n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and lipid levels are associated with episodes of self-harm or depression over a 10-year period. Methods We included 40 individuals who self-harmed and 40 controls. Episodes of self-harm and depression were ascertained and levels of depression, impulsivity, suicidal ideation and plas...

Objectives There have been conflicting data suggesting that prenatal mercury exposure is associated with adverse cardiovascular measures in children. We therefore analysed a large prospective population study to investigate whether prenatal mercury exposure might influence offspring blood pressure (BP) and heart rate adversely. Design Prospective...

Background: There is considerable discussion over the possible harm caused by fetal exposure to mercury, but evidence of such harm is contradictory at levels commonly found in populations with moderate intakes of fish. Further information is needed to inform debate and clarify policy recommendations. Material: Data were collected prospectively f...

Background: Few studies of maternal prenatal fish intake have included biomarkers of exposure to mercury, long-chain n-3 fatty acids, and selenium, which are hypothesized to mediate associations with child neurodevelopment. Objectives: Examine associations of maternal prenatal fish intake with child neurodevelopment accounting for biomarkers. M...

A questionnaire to measure consumption of contemporary sources of omega-3 fatty acids including (i) seafood, (ii) poultry and eggs, (iii) omega-3 functional foods, and (iv) dietary supplements was completed by U.S. soldiers (N = 191). Omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) scores were higher (p < 0.01) among those who (i) took an omega-3 supp...

In 2014 the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) estimated 71% of adults drank alcohol in the prior year while 7% of adults had an alcohol use disorder (NIAAA 2016). From a dietary perspective, alcoholic beverages impact nutrient and energy intake and diet quality, thus accurate estimate of alcohol intake is important. The pur...

Background: While some studies suggest that nutritional supplementation may reduce aggressive behavior in children, they have not examined whether its efficacy may be enhanced in conjunction with other treatment approaches. This study tests the hypothesis that a nutritional supplementation of omega-3, multivitamins, and minerals over 3 months, com...

Background: Trials evaluating efficacy of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) in major depressive disorder report discrepant findings. Aims: To establish the reasons underlying inconsistent findings among randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of omega-3 HUFAs for depression and to assess implications for further trials. Method: A syst...

Objective To examine the traditional diet-heart hypothesis through recovery and analysis of previously unpublished data from the Minnesota Coronary Experiment (MCE) and to put findings in the context of existing diet-heart randomized controlled trials through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Design The MCE (1968-73) is a double blind randomiz...

Appendix: Supplementary material

Appendix 2: MCE data collection forms

Inrodent models, diets with elevated %n‐6 fatty acids lead to elevated endocannabinoid concentrations and obesity. PURPOSE To test if a diet that lowers the %n‐6 and increases %n‐3 HUFA in humans would change fasting appetite and measures of satiety in response to a standardized meal. METHODS Volunteers were randomly assigned to energy balanced d...

Background Chronic idiopathic pain syndromes are major causes of personal suffering, disability, and societal expense. Dietary n-6 linoleic acid has increased markedly in modern industrialized populations over the past century. These high amounts of linoleic acid could hypothetically predispose to physical pain by increasing the production of pro-n...

Suicide remains the 10th leading cause of death among adults in the United States (U.S.). Annually, approximately 30 per 100,000U.S. military Veterans commit suicide, compared to 14 per 100,000U.S. civilians. Symptoms associated with suicidality can be treatment resistant and proven-effective pharmaceuticals may have adverse side-effects. Thus, a c...

Introduction: There is evidence that high levels of mercury exposure to the pregnant woman can result in damage to the brain of the developing fetus. However there is uncertainty as to whether lower levels of the metal have adverse effects on the development of the infant and whether components of fish consumption and/or the selenium status of the...

Objectives: There is curiosity concerning the source of mercury that is absorbed into the mother's blood and which may affect the developing fetus. This study therefore sets out to determine the extent to which dental amalgam (DA) may contribute to total blood mercury (TBHg) levels of pregnant women in the UK. Methods: Whole blood samples and in...

Methylmercury (MeHg) may affect fetal growth; however, prior research often lacked assessment of mercury speciation, confounders, and interactions. This cross-sectional study includes 271 singletons born in Baltimore, Maryland, 2004-5. Umbilical cord blood was analyzed for speciated mercury, serum omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFAs),...

In the present study, we examined longitudinal changes in self-reported depressive symptoms (and related domains) in relation to baseline intakes of n-3 fatty acids (absolute and relative to n-6 fatty acids). Sex-specific associations were evaluated in a prospective cohort of adults (n = 2,053) from Baltimore, Maryland, who were 30–64 years of age...

Unlabelled: Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are biosynthetic precursors of endocannabinoids with antinociceptive, anxiolytic, and neurogenic properties. We recently reported that targeted dietary manipulation-increasing omega-3 fatty acids while reducing omega-6 linoleic acid (the H3-L6 intervention)-reduced headache pain and psychological distres...

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are precursors of bioactive lipid mediators posited to modulate both physical pain and psychological distress. In a randomized trial of 67 subjects with severe headaches, we recently demonstrated that targeted dietary manipulation-increasing omega-3 fatty acids with concurrent reduction in omega-6 linoleic acid (the...

Elevating dietary intake of omega‐3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 HUFAs) is widely recommended. Increasing tissue n‐3 HUFAs by foods alone, without supplements, is preferred. We compared serum fatty acids after consuming three diets (Control, Medium, High: C,M,H, respectively) with food item or ingredient substitution in standard American mil...

High %n‐6 HUFA in plasma and tissues is associated with a heightened inflammatory response. PURPOSE To test if a diet that lowers the %n‐6 would be associated with less strength loss after fatiguing load carriage exercise and shorter time to recover muscle strength and performance. METHODS Volunteers were randomly assigned to either a control die...

Psychiatry is at an important juncture, with the current pharmacologically focused model having achieved modest benefi ts in addressing the burden of poor mental health worldwide. Although the determinants of mental health are complex, the emerging and compelling evidence for nutrition as a crucial factor in the high prevalence and incidence of men...

Nutritional insufficiencies of nutrients such as omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs), vitamins and minerals have been linked to suboptimal developmental outcomes including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although the predominant treatment is currently psychostimulant medications, randomized clinical trials with omega-3 H...

The current burden of psychological distress and illness poses as a significant barrier to optimal force efficacy. Here we assess nutrients in military diets, specifically highly unsaturated essential fatty acids, in the reduction of risk or treatment of psychiatric distress. Moderate to strong evidence from several meta-analyses of prospective coh...

A diet rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may decrease risk of cardiovascular disease by improving the blood lipid profile. The purpose of this review was to (1) determine if fish oil (omega-3) consumption increased the risk of hemorrhaging after a military injury and (2) whether an improvement in the omega-3 PUFA profile had an im...

Research indicates that dietary omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are important in reducing the risk of mental illness. We used the DoD Survey of Health Related Behaviors among Active Duty Military Personnel (HRBS) to assess current military dietary patterns and meal locations. We used the Lands Equation to model PUFAs in a sa...