Dear Dr. SerVaas: My granddaughter was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Has anyone successfully treated this disorder with diet? Thank you for any information.

Brian E. Beaudry
e-mail

Dear Reader: Harvard Medical School researcher Dr. Andrew Stoll recommends two to five grams of high-quality fish oil to his patients with mood disorders, including bipolar disorder. His preliminary studies suggest that the effect of omega-3s in fish oil is comparable to, or stronger than, lithium and other conventional medicine.

For many years, lithium has been the gold standard of treatment for bipolar disorder. Newer drug therapy options include the antiseizure drugs Depakote and Tegretol.

Dr. John Nurnberger of Indiana University is investigating the genetic roots of bipolar disorder. Interested readers may complete his screening survey on our Web site at www.saturdayeveningpost.com or write to "Medical Mailbox" to request the questionnaire by mail.

For more on Dr. Stoll's research, see "Omega-3 for Bipolar Disorder" in the Sept./Oct. 2001 issue of the Post.