Discovered by the ancient Celts & dispensed to Roman legionnaires for emotional and physical stamina in the field, this extract of a mysterious fish sourced only one place in the world is still prized by those in the know.
Fatigue, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and problems with memory and concentration are all common complaints in our modern stress-filled society.
They are also symptoms that typically occur with a number of chronic illnesses, like chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, migraine disease and multiple sclerosis, just to name a few.
Stabilium® 200, an all-natural dietary supplement made from a fish extract, has been found to have impressive anti-stress properties – as ancient fisher-folk discovered and modern science confirms. Studies have shown that Stabilium can promote:
• Healthy sleep patterns,
• Increased energy,
• Improved cognitive function and memory,
• Reduced anxiety and depression.
The Secret of the Big Blue Fish
Way back in the third century BC, the Celts of Armorica discovered that an extract from the “Great Blue Fish” could improve resilience to physical and emotional stress.
That fish extract, called garum armoricum, became famous in the ancient world through the writings of the prominent Greek physician Galen. Garum was used by women (especially pregnant women), children, athletes, and the elderly. It was also given to Roman legionnaires before long and exhausting marches, and before battle.
Garum armoricum - marketed under the trade name Stabilium® 200 - is produced by naturally fermenting the internal organs of the Blue Ling fish, a distant relative of the cod, sourced only from the deep waters off the Armorican peninsula of Brittany.
Because the Blue Ling lives at depths of 1,500 to 3,000 feet - where there is almost no oxygen and the hyperbaric pressure is extremely high - it has developed a highly specialized metabolism and physiology that enables it to cope with those extreme environmental conditions.
How Stabilium Works
The active components in Stabilium include amino acids, peptides, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, which are thought to work synergistically as well as individually.
• Stabilium contains a high concentration of small peptides similar to pituitary and hypothalamic stimulating peptides that act as hormone precursors and precursors to neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), encephalins and endorphins. These can exert a regulatory effect on the nervous system, potentially enabling the body to adapt to stressful conditions.
• Thirty percent of the fats in Stabilium are the essential Omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are precursors of the prostaglandins and prostacyclins - cellular chemical mediators which help regulate the main biological functions of the body, including certain functions of the central nervous system.
• Stabilium contains 20% to 25% free amino acids, including the essential amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is known to help induce normal sleep, reduce anxiety and depression, produce serotonin and strengthen the immune system.
One study found that Stabilium may also have anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like properties similar to popular benzodiazepine and tricyclic antidepressant drugs.
The researchers found that male Wistar rats given garum had decreased global scores of anxiety similar to those of rats given the benzodiazepine Valium (diazepam). Likewise, they found that rats given garum had reduced immobility time, much like rats given the tricyclic antidepressant Tofranil (imipramine). Notably, while the rats experienced drug-like benefits, they did not have any of the common negative effects exhibited when given the actual drugs.
The researchers concluded, “These results indicate the potential anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like properties of garum armoricum in the absence of any change in cerebral activation and dependence.” They went on to speculate, “These psychotropic properties of garum armoricum may be due to the synergistic action of its active constituents.”(1)
More Stabilium Research
Although garum has been used for centuries to counteract the negative effects of stress, it wasn't until around 1970 that scientists began conducting controlled clinical trials to evaluate its potential health benefits. Following are the results of some of those studies.
Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Sleep Problems:
A French study evaluated the effects of garum extract on 40 patients who had been suffering from various forms of chronic fatigue for one to three months. Participants were given four capsules of garum extract each day for two weeks.
At the end of the two weeks, significant improvement was seen in all 10 function areas measured.(2)
Another French study involved 20 patients who had been experiencing various forms of chronic fatigue for a period of one to three months. During the first two weeks of the study, participants were given four placebo capsules per day. Then for the following two weeks, they received four capsules of garum extract each day.
The results showed that patients experienced a significant reduction in fatigue, anxiety, depression and insomnia during the garum extract phase of the study.
||Garum Extract Improvement
|Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia
It's important to note that two weeks after discontinuing treatment with garum extract, participants' fatigue symptoms had only increased by 15%, and the other symptoms had increased only 7%.
This shows that the beneficial effects of garum extract persisted even after treatment was stopped
Memory and Cognitive Function:
One double blind, placebo controlled crossover study examined the effect of Stabilium 200 on memory and cognitive disorders for a wide range of age groups. The results showed that Stabilium specifically supported motivation, concentration, learning, immediate memorization, and the capacity for differentiated memorization across all age groups.
Notably, the 45 and older age groups demonstrated the most distinct and significant improvements
Stress and Anxiety:
In 1995, researchers studied the effects of Stabilium on college students who live with anxiety due to the chronic nature of academic stress. Students with psychiatric conditions requiring medication were excluded. A total of 54 college students at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.
Students were randomized into two groups, one receiving Stabilium and the other receiving a placebo. After three weeks, both the Stabilium and the placebo were discontinued for a week as a washout period. Then the treatments were reversed for an additional three weeks, followed by another one-week washout period prior to final testing.
Both groups showed an obvious and significantly greater decrease in anxiety scores during the weeks they took the Stabilium
Confirmation of Stabilium's Anti-Stress Effect:
The anti-stress effect of Stabilium has been objectively confirmed by scientists in Japan, using electroencephalography (EEC) to measure alpha waves. Alpha waves reflect a calm, balanced mind and are most active when a person is experiencing deep relaxation.
The researchers found a significant increase in alpha wave activity following supplementation with Stabilium
As a dietary supplement, take four capsules of Stabilium
daily (all at one time) with water, preferably on an empty stomach. For best results continue use for 15 days; thereafter, take 2 or 3 capsules every other day as desired or as directed by a healthcare practitioner. (The benefits typically are maintained for 15 days or more after stopping intake.)
Unopened, shelf life is two years. However, after opening the inner foil wrapper, use the contents within six months.
Stabilium is extremely well-tolerated, with no contraindications and no known drug interactions.
is an all-natural dietary supplement, made from the Blue Ling fish, that contains a wealth of nutritional benefits. Studies have found that ingesting Stabilium can support the body during modern stressful conditions - both mental and physical - just as it did in ancient times.
* Supplement research reporter Karen Lee Richards is HealthCentral's Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS Health Guide (www.HealthCentral.com/chronic-pain)
1. Messaoudi M, et al. Anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of garum armoricum (GA), a blue ling fish protein autolysate in male wistar rats. Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research. 2008 Aug;6(3):115-23. (http://www.canceropole-ge.org/perl/dbcge/publis?87d1
2. Crocq L, et al. Treatment of astheno-depressive conditions by Minaprine-Multi-center study of 248 cases assessed by Fatigue Study Group Scale #4. Psychologie Medicale
12(12) 643-61, 1980. [No abstract available.]
3. Le Poncin M, et al. Nutriment and presentation of performance in cognitive and memory tests. Double-blind studies of Stabilium ® 200 versus placebo. (2000) Research Institute for the Prevention of Cerebral Aging. Paris, France. [No abstract available.]
4. Dorman T, et al. The effectiveness of Garom armoricum
(Stabilium) on reducing anxiety in college students. Journal of Advancement in Medicine
8(3):193-200, 1995. [No abstract available.]
5. Quantitative analysis of alpha waves under Stabilium. Denentoshi Hospital. Koesi, Japan. [No abstract available.]
Note: This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is general information and is not meant to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any disease; nor should it be interpreted as a substitute for the personal attention and advice of a professional healthcare provider. It is very important that you make no change in your healthcare plan or health support regimen without researching and discussing it in collaboration with your professional healthcare team