The EU-funded project AQUABIOPRO-FIT aims to develop nutritional supplements containing proteins and other bioactive ingredients from aquaculture and fisheries by-products. These supplements are specifically designed to help the body naturally cope with particular conditions such as anxiety, and depression.

Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental disorders, and more than 300 million people are estimated to have depression – that is about 4% of the world's population, according to data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015.

Anxiety is characterized by a sense of persistent anxiety that prevents an individual's ability to relax. It may range from anxiety experienced before surgery to the diffuse feeling of nervousness characterized by a generalized anxiety disorder, or even panic attacks and social phobia.

Researchers have studied the association between vitamins, minerals, and specific foods that combat depression and boost our mood. Dietary supplements which fight anxiety and depression symptoms, regulate hormone levels and support the health of the body and mind have gained ground over the past decades and have become an integral part of the prevention and treatment of mental illnesses.

AQUABIOPRO-FIT seeks to support people with depression and anxiety and contribute to the alleviation of this worldwide epidemic by developing supplements from fish by-products.

The produced dietary supplements are concentrated sources of nutrients, containing trace elements, vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids. They aim to correct nutritional deficiencies, maintain an adequate intake of certain nutrients, and support specific physiological functions.

The developed novel nutritional supplements can help the human organism to balance anxiety and depression. In order to prove this, AQUABIOPRO-FIT is running a well-designed double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study with over 50 patients.

This EU project takes a very sustainable approach to the sourcing of the raw material used for dietary supplements by using side streams from fisheries and aquaculture that currently go to waste. The results of the clinical study expected soon will prove their ability to help the human body to effectively deal with stress.

Article written by Dr. Zoi Georgiou from Biognosis