The omega-3s help your body store more calories as glycogen (stored carbohydrate) rather than as fat.Īnd one final reason fish oil supports fat loss: It improves satiety. That isn’t an excuse to just take fish oil and avoid exercise, but it’s still impressive that the study participants saw the changes they did without any instruction on diet or exercise.Īnother reason fish oil helps with fat loss is that it causes fuel partitioning. They were encouraged to keep their nutrition and exercise patterns the same as before the study. Interestingly, the study participants were not instructed on diet or exercise. Those taking the fish oil decreased body fat and body fat percentage, increased lean body mass, and experienced a decrease in cortisol levels. The scale might not change significantly, but people’s body composition and health risks still do.Ī small 2010 study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found the following:įorty-four men and women supplemented with either four grams of safflower oil or four grams of fish oil. In these studies, it’s likely that the fish oil also increased lean body mass while reducing body fat. Some studies show that fish oil supplementation doesn’t affect body weight, while still reducing waist-to-hip ratio and visceral fat. Since somebody will ask, I’ll address the fact that not all research shows fish oil affects weight loss, but it’s more a case of semantics than bad science. For an adult on a 2000-calorie diet, that would equate to about 5 grams of fish oil per day.įish oil seems to be especially useful for reducing visceral or belly fat. The researchers used high-EPA fish oil at doses of up to 2.4% of the animals total calorie intake. Noradrenaline stimulates brown adipose tissue, raising metabolic rate and heat production. However, supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids does enhance fat loss, according to research.Īnimal research shows that fish oil consumption causes fat loss by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, which releases noradrenaline. It’s the removal of carbs that leads to fat loss. If you’re into Keto, you’ve no doubt heard people say, “eat fat and lose weight.” And while you can eat fat on Keto and drop body fat, most dietary fat doesn’t cause fat loss. You’re about to find out why.Īn online survey completed by Equation Research showed that only 26 percent of Americans said they take fish oil supplements, even though 63% of the respondents said they felt their diet did not have enough omega-3 fatty acids. If I had to narrow my list down to just two supplements, it would still make the cut. But high-quality fish oil is filtered to virtually eliminate mercury, so your best bet is to eat wild Alaskan salmon once in a while and take a high-quality fish oil supplement regularly.įish oil is part of my Foundational Five, the best supplements to support health. Of course, if you overeat fatty fish, you do risk eating too much mercury. We need to consume EPA and DHA directly, either by eating fatty fish or through supplementation. And it’s DHA and EPA that provide the health benefits for which fish oil is known. Some animals easily convert ALA to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA). The omega-3 fatty acid in these plants is called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Plant foods like flaxseeds, walnuts, soybean, and wheat germ do contain a pretty decent amount of omega-3s, but it isn’t the ideal type of omega-3s for humans. We need more omega-3s in the diet than we consume each day. But it’s not just about eating less omega-6s. The imbalance with which we eat those fats today contributes to numerous health problems. Long before the days of eating beef and chicken, humans ate a lot more fish, and the average diet was much more balanced with omega-6s and omega-3s. However, that’s not how things have always been. You don’t need to give much thought to eating enough omega-6s. Let’s start with a little primer on fish oil, omega-3s, and essential fatty acids, as there’s a lot of confusion out there.Īlong with omega-6 fatty acids, omega-3s are part of a special group of fats called essential fatty acids. Like essential amino acids, essential fatty acids are nutrients you need in your diet because your body can’t make them on its own. What about the studies that say fish oil doesn’t work?įish oil is often advertised for its heart health benefits, but it does so much more than that (not that the health of your heart isn’t important).How Much Fish Oil Should You Eat or Take?.Supports Healthy Inflammation Levels and Immune Function Supports Healthy Lipids and Blood Glucose
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