Fish oil may or may not help you with weight management, or more specifically, fat management. Several factors come into play, some of which can enhance the positive effects of fish oil and others of which can undermine them.
A multitude of studies have examined the potential effects of fish oil weight loss. Unfortunately, relatively few have shown how other factors might influence the results, either positively or negatively. This is why so many studies listed on PubMed, our national medical database, show contradictory results.
One of the better studies, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007, shows that fish oils can reduce fat mass and increase lean mass, whereas vegetable oils can do just the opposite. This and similar reports point to the positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids from fish and the negative effects of omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils.
In addition, this study also showed that a crucial factor for getting positive effects from fish oil is exercise. Even moderate exercise, such as walking for 45 minutes at 75 percent of age-predicted maximal heart rate, just 3 days each week, boosts the benefits of fish oil. In the absence of exercise, the effects of fish oil are insignificant.
The bottom line among all the seemingly contradictory results of studies that entail the effects of fish oil on weight loss can be summarized in four take-home lessons:
1) The overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils negates the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil. Our modern dietary intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is in a ratio of about 20:1. It should be closer to 2:1. Consume less vegetable oil and more fish oil.
2) The benefits of dietary fish oil for fat loss and lean body mass are boosted by even moderate exercise. Such benefits are insignificant in the absence of exercise.
3) The positive effects from consuming fish oil are also negated by dietary sugar. Fructose and its ubiquitous occurrence in foods and beverages in the form of high fructose corn syrup can be particulary powerful in undermining the benefits of fish oil.
4) The minimum intake of fish oil should be at least 1.5 grams per day, with 2-3 grams being even better. The best fish oil supplements offer the highest amounts of the two main omega-3 fatty acids from fish - i.e., EPA and DHA.
A multitude of studies have examined the potential effects of fish oil weight loss. Unfortunately, relatively few have shown how other factors might influence the results, either positively or negatively. This is why so many studies listed on PubMed, our national medical database, show contradictory results.
One of the better studies, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007, shows that fish oils can reduce fat mass and increase lean mass, whereas vegetable oils can do just the opposite. This and similar reports point to the positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids from fish and the negative effects of omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils.
In addition, this study also showed that a crucial factor for getting positive effects from fish oil is exercise. Even moderate exercise, such as walking for 45 minutes at 75 percent of age-predicted maximal heart rate, just 3 days each week, boosts the benefits of fish oil. In the absence of exercise, the effects of fish oil are insignificant.
The bottom line among all the seemingly contradictory results of studies that entail the effects of fish oil on weight loss can be summarized in four take-home lessons:
1) The overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils negates the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil. Our modern dietary intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is in a ratio of about 20:1. It should be closer to 2:1. Consume less vegetable oil and more fish oil.
2) The benefits of dietary fish oil for fat loss and lean body mass are boosted by even moderate exercise. Such benefits are insignificant in the absence of exercise.
3) The positive effects from consuming fish oil are also negated by dietary sugar. Fructose and its ubiquitous occurrence in foods and beverages in the form of high fructose corn syrup can be particulary powerful in undermining the benefits of fish oil.
4) The minimum intake of fish oil should be at least 1.5 grams per day, with 2-3 grams being even better. The best fish oil supplements offer the highest amounts of the two main omega-3 fatty acids from fish - i.e., EPA and DHA.
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