Does Omega-3 Help You Lose Belly Fat?

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in great quantities in cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, can help you lose belly fat by speeding your metabolism and increasing your ability to tolerate meals high in carbohydrates. Appropriate consumption of omega-3s also carries a number of other benefits, including decreased risk of dental disease, improved cognitive function and decreases in inflammation.

Finding Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids are contained in a variety of foods, including cold-water fish. Plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flax seed, algae and hemp seeds, but plant-based omega-3s are not digested the same way as those from animal products. As a result, plant-based omega-3s may not carry the same health benefits, such as improved insulin sensitivity and metabolic rate, produced by animal-based omega-3 fatty acids, according to Dr. Gabe Mirkin, a physician and medical nutrition author.

Omega-3 and Metabolic Rate

Omega-3 consumption can influence the speed at which you are able to burn calories, especially while on a diet. Omega-3 fats work to keep a hormone that directly influences the metabolism's speed, called leptin, at high levels. According to Dr. John Berardi, when leptin is present in high amounts, the metabolic rate remains higher than normal while also reducing overall hunger, increasing your likelihood of maintaining weight-loss success while dieting.

Omega-3 and Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin sensitivity is the ability of your body's cells to recognize the presence of insulin and to allow more sugar molecules to be burned for energy instead of being stored as fat. In general, the more sensitive your cells are to insulin, the less you will store fat from meals higher in carbohydrates. Increasing omega-3 consumption in the form of both fish oil supplementation and also eating about 1 lb. of cold-water fish each week significantly improves insulin sensitivity and assists in fat loss, according to the Life Extension Foundation, an organization dedicated to nutritional pharmacology. Eat weekly meals containing salmon, mackerel and sardines and include a few capsules of fish oil each day to help reduce belly fat.

Omega-3 and Fat Metabolism

Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids can improve the rate at which your body metabolizes fats eaten with meals. According to research in the December 2007 Journal of Nutrition, two weeks of fish-oil supplementation equal to 3g daily improved the metabolism of fat in the intestine and reduced weight gain in overfed animals. In another study, researchers discovered that the same two-week period resulted in gene alterations, particularly of the "anti-obesity" gene.

Warning

Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, like any supplement, can have negative consequences in certain populations. According to the Mayo Clinic, consumption of fish oils at "eskimo levels" -- approaching 100g daily -- can increase bleeding and stroke risk. Fish containing high levels of omega-3 fats also have a propensity toward holding onto mercury, and excessive consumption may increase risk of mercury-related illnesses. Before beginning an omega-3 supplement program, consult your physician.