An Australian study determined that daily doses of fish oil containing omega-3 fats can, when combined with exercise, act as an aid to weight loss.
If that got your attention, read on. I bet you’ve heard of the health benefits from omega-3’s and fish oil, but first here’s a little background on why we’re even talking about all of this.
When butter became known as “evil” back in the 1970’s, we increased our consumption of margarines and vegetable oils (corn, safflower, sunflower). These vegetable oils are higher in omega-6’s than omega 3’s. Don’t get confused, what’s important is the ratio, since many oils have both types of fatty acids. Bottom line is this, we have been consuming much more omega-6’s in recent decades and now we’re seeing the effects.
Now, take a walk down memory lane with me, all the way to biology class… Each of our cells have a fatty layer, and that fatty layer is made up of the specific fats we eat. Omega 3’s and 6’s contend for space in the cell membrane, so whichever you eat more of will be what’s reflected in your cells. Here’s where it gets interesting… when cells are made primarily from omega-6 fatty acids (due to eating many omega-6 fats), it can lead to inflammation and eventually chronic disease like heart disease and cancer. It has been said that much of our inflammation in our bodies and dependency on anti-inflammatories, is due in part to our over consumption of omega-6 oils (vegetable oils like, corn, safflower, and sunflower). *This is probably why research now clearly shows that high doses of fish oil works as a better anti-inflammatory than over the counter anti-inflammatories.
So you may be catching on that our over consumption of omega-6 oils is doing us harm and maybe we should consider other options. Well, omega-3’s specifically EPA and DHA, have enormous health benefits. Guess what? Our bodies can’t make omega-3’s. We must get them from our diet. Simple enough you say, eat more omega-3’s right? You see foods in the grocery store labeled “good source of omega-3’s”. Be careful! Omega-3’s are NOT all created equal.
Fish and fish oil are the best sources of omega-3’s because of the specific kinds of fatty acids they contain. Fish oils contain DHA and EPA. You’ve probably heard of them. There are many, many ways that DHA and EPA improve health.
EPA & DHA found in fish and fish oil can prevent LDL “bad” cholesterol from sticking to arteries, prevent or minimize depression, liver damage, eye problems, diabetes, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, and more. Plus, research shows that when fish oil is combined with exercise, it acts as a weight loss aid.
However, plant sources of omega-3’s have ALA , another type of fatty acid and there has not been significant research that shows that ALA has health benefits, like EPA and DHA.
What you can do? If you want the benefits of EPA and DHA, your best source is from fish and fish oil. The reason these are great sources is because omega 3’s come from algae that the fish eat, thus fish are full of omega 3’s. Eat plenty of cold water fish like salmon, herring, and sardines. Eating plant sources of omega-3’s is also helpful, but won’t give you the most bang for your buck, literally. *see the chart on how ALA can be made into EPA/DHA but only in small amounts.
If you don’t think you want to eat fish every day, or can’t afford to, a good quality fish oil supplement will do the trick. When choosing which brand to take, make sure they follow the most advanced processing practices (to avoid getting rancid oils or with free radicals), check to see that the purity is excellent and that they do 3rd party testing, and if it’s important to you, check to see that they are using sustainable fishing methods.
Look for a fish oil that gives you over 1000 mg (or 1g) of omega-3’s per dose. You should only have to take 2 capsules to get 1000 mg or more.
Fish oil supplements are usually tolerated best when taken with meals. If you experience a lot of burping after taking fish oil, start with a smaller dose and gradually increase your dose with time. Your body will assimilate it better if you start slowly.