Omega 3 Fats & Weight Loss

Fish oil supplements may help overweight people and people with high blood pressure to lose weight, according to the National Institutes of Health. Omega-3 fatty acids or polyunsaturated fatty acids, are found in fish oil. They are considered essential to your diet because your body can't make them. Take supplements only under the care of a knowledgeable health care provider to prevent adverse side effects and interactions with other medications you may be taking.

Identification

Omega-3 fatty acids are integral to brain function and normal growth and development. They may reduce risk of heart disease. Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, are types of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. Alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, is a kind of omega-3 fatty acid found in some nuts, like English walnuts and vegetable oils, including canola, soybean, flaxseed/linseed and olive oil. The American Heart Association recommends getting omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish twice per week.

Effects

Rats fed fish oil gained less weight and fat than those fed soybean oil, according to a 2002 study published by Michael Pellizzon in "Obesity Research." A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may protect against obesity, according to a 2000 study published by Hongqin Wang and colleagues in the "American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism." A group of rats fed a diet with high omega-3 fatty acids had reduced fat and leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone that has an effect on appetite regulation. Leptin concentrations are low in people and animals with low body fat.

Time Frame

The last decades have seen an increase in the linoleic acid/linolenic ratio, or proportion of an omega-6 fatty acid to an omega-3 acid, in infant formula and adult consumption, according to a 2006 study in "Progress in Lipid Research." Researcher Gerard Ailhaud and colleagues suggested that the increase has risen with a rise in the prevalence of obesity and that the association may be causal.

Amount

Dosing for fish oil supplements should be based on the amount of DHA and EPA, not the amount of fish oil. Supplements vary in the amount and ratio of omega-3 fatty acids. A typical capsule may contain 0.18 g or 180 mg, of EPA and 0.12 g or 120 mg, of DHA, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Five grams of fish oil contains about 0.17 to 0.56 g or 170 to 560 mg of EPA and 0.072 to 0.31 g or 72 to 310 mg of DHA. Taking daily fish oil supplements, such as Hi-DHA and NuMega, providing 260 mg DHA/gram and 60 mg EPA/gram, significantly decreases body fat when combined with exercise, according to NIH.

Mechanism

EPA and DHA may reduce accumulation of body fat by limiting both hypertrophy and hyperplasia of fat cells, according to a 2004 study in "Lipids." Hypertrophy refers to an increase in bulk. Hyperplasia means increased cell production. Researcher Jana Ruzickova and colleagues also proposed that increased intake of EPA and DHA may be beneficial regardless of ALA intake.