Fish oil and weight loss

Many people still struggle to lose weight despite the huge
number of weight loss products and diet supplements on the
market which would suggest that they might not be the ideal
solution. However, one recent study has found that simply
taking fish oil supplements on a daily basis could help
promote weight loss and combat obesity.

The study was conducted by the University of South
Australia in 2006 and without making any modifications to
diet, those taking fish oil supplements and walking or
running for 45 minutes three times a week lost an average
of two and half kilograms of weight over the period of the
trial whereas there was little difference in the other
groups. Not only that, instruments used to measure body
fat composition found that those taking the fish oil also
had a significant reduction in body fat. The results
suggest that weight loss can be accelerated when fish oil
is combined with moderate amounts of exercise.

So why would fish oil make such a difference?

Fish oil contains the essential Omega 3 fatty acids
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
and as these fats cannot be synthesised in the body, they
have to be obtained from the diet. Most of us do not get
adequate amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids in our diet and
some health professionals believe that this is responsible
for a number of diseases that are on the increase in the
21st Century such as heart disease, inflammatory diseases,
allergies and even depression. So what impact does Omega 3
fatty acids have on our weight?

Many people who try to lose weight believe that they have
to cut out as much fat as possible. This is simply not the
case and indeed, extremely low fat diets can be harmful as
the body needs a certain amount of fat to survive. The
secret lies in getting the right kind of fat. The types of
fats to be avoided are the "trans" fats or hydrogenated
fats that are found in abundance in processed foods. This
type of fat will not facilitate weight loss and indeed is
harmful to the body in general. Omega 3 fatty acids on the
other hand can improve fat metabolism.

Another important consideration is the amount of
pro-inflammatory Omega 6 fatty acids that are consumed in
relation to the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 6
fatty acids are also essential but are generally abundant
in Western diets in meat and dairy products, in vegetable
oils and in processed foods. The important Omega 3 fatty
acids EPA and DHA are only found in any significant
quantities in oily fish like Salmon, Sardines, Tuna and
Mackerel, and of course in fish oil supplements. The other
plant based Omega 3 fatty acid is alpha linolenic acid
(ALA) and this can be found in dark green leafy vegetables
and flax seed oil but the body is not efficient at
converting this into the really important EPA and DHA.

The truth is anyone who restricts calorie consumption and
increases the amount of calories they burn off will
eventually lose weight. However, it is healthy weight loss
that is the ideal as this is the only way that the weight
will come off and stay off. The South Australian study
suggests that weight loss can be achieved by taking fish
oil and some exercise without making any changes to the
diet. It would be reasonable then to surmise that even
greater results might be achieved by making some
alterations to the diet along with taking fish oil and some
moderate exercise.

Fish oil supplements

There are other health benefits to taking fish oil
supplements than promoting a healthy weight loss. Fish oil
is known to reduce inflammation and offer protection
against heart disease and depression and a whole host of
other health problems. You could also try adding more fish
to your diet but the current recommendation is to limit
consumption of fish due to the amount of toxins they can
contain, like Mercury and PCBs for example. So, fish oil
would seem the ideal way to get enough Omega 3 fatty acids
into the diet to make a difference, however, a word of
warning. As fish oils are produced from fish, they too can
contain unhealthy levels of toxins unless it is high
quality fish oil that has been through processes such as
molecular distillation to remove these toxins so shop
around for a good one first.

Conclusion

More research is required to establish just how effective
fish oil is at promoting weight loss but in the meantime,
there is every reason to believe that fish oil is certainly
worth a try, not only might you shed some extra pounds, you
could improve your general health too.

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Dave McEvoy is an expert in omega 3 fish oil EPA with over
20 years experience; for more information about fish oil
and how it can help come and visit.
http://www.mind1st.co.uk/omega-3-fish-oil-weight-loss.asp