Omega 3 & Salmon Oil

Cold-water fish, such as salmon, tuna, herring and mackerel, have high levels of body fat to stabilize their core temperature in frigid water. This fat is rich in a type of polyunsaturated fat, known as omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s have been linked to heart health, weight loss and decreased cholesterol in the body. Adding salmon oil to your diet can improve your chances of having these beneficial effects on your health. Inform your physician before you begin taking a salmon oil supplement.

Components of Omega-3s

Omega-3s supply two types of fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, or DHA and EPA. Your brain needs DHA for proper functioning, and it is critical during the first six months of life to develop your nervous system, explains the University of Maryland. EPA is a powerful anti-inflammatory fatty acid, that helps relieve inflammation from disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Both DHA and EPA work together and are common components of omega-3s from salmon oil. These fatty acids are essential, meaning that your body cannot produce enough. You need to get omega-3s from your diet.

Beneficial for Weight Loss

Medline Plus reports that adding an omega-3 rich fish oil supplement to your diet can improve weight loss. If you are overweight, consuming a salmon oil supplement each day may help stabilize your blood sugar. This can decrease your chances of having cravings, and may also keep you satisfied during a meal, so you don't eat as much. Additionally, having a supplement that provides 260 mg of DHA and 60 mg of EPA per gram, may significantly decrease body fat, when paired with an exercise program.

Essential for Heart Health

Taking a salmon oil supplement may reduce your risk of heart disease, by decreasing risk factors. Fish oil supplements rich in omega-3s, like salmon oil, can lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, reduce your risk of blood clots and improve the integrity of blood vessels throughout your body, explains the University of Maryland.

Effects on Cholesterol

One study, published in the "International Journal of Obesity" in 2008, evaluated the effects of fish or fish oil supplements, on blood lipids during weight loss diets. More than 300 men and women, between the ages of 20 to 40, participated. Subjects had a body mass index, or BMI, in the overweight range; 27.5 to 32.5. At the end of the study, participants who consumed about 5 1/2 oz. of salmon, three times per week, or two fish oil supplements daily, had the greatest benefits. Subjects in these groups had reduced triglycerides, lowered "bad" LDL cholesterol, and decreased total cholesterol. In addition to this, a diet rich in salmon and fish oil can help raise your "good" HDL cholesterol.