Fish oil has had positive effects on many different health outcomes, including triglyceride levels and heart disease risk. Due to these positive findings, fish oil's effects on weight loss and body composition have also been examined in several animal and human studies.
Background
Studies examining fish oil's effects on weight loss show mixed results. Medline Plus reports that fish oil is possibly effective for weight loss and some studies show eating fish accelerates weight loss in overweight individuals. Medline Plus also reports that taking 6 g of fish oil supplements containing 260 mg of DHA and 60 mg of EPA may help decrease body fat in people who exercise.
Research
A 2010 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that overweight and obese subjects who took 15 g of EPA plus DHA per day lost weight, however the amount of weight lost was not significantly more than overweight and obese subjects who took placebo capsules. A 2007 study also published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that overweight subjects who consumed 6 g of tuna fish oil supplements per day had lower triglyceride levels, increased HDL, or good cholesterol levels, and reduced body fat.
Considerations
Medline Plus reports that taking 7.5 g of fish oil per day may be effective to help slow weight loss related to cancer in some patients. However, according to the American Cancer Society, recent review research reports that there are too few studies that show favorable results for fish oil's effects on cancer-related weight loss and not enough information exists to determine if omega-3s in fish oil do indeed help reduce cancer-related weight loss.
Recommendations
Although fish oil may not necessarily help accelerate weight loss, it does contain omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are essential fats the human body requires on a daily basis. According to the American Pregnancy Association, adults require at least 220 mg of EPA and 220 mg of DHA per day and pregnant and nursing women require at least 300 mg of DHA each day. The Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board established adequate intake levels for omega-3 fatty acids for adults as 1.1 g to 1.6 g per day, depending on gender and age.
References
- Medline Plus; Fish Oil; February 2011
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effects of Omega-3 Supplementation in Combination with Diet and Exercise on Weight Loss and Body Composition; Laura F DeFina et al.; November 2010
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Combining Fish-Oil Supplements with Regular Aerobic Exercise Improves Body Composition and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors; Alison M Hill et al.; May 2007
- American Cancer Society; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; November 2008
- American Pregnancy Association; Omega-3 Fish Oil and Pregnancy; August 2009
- Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board; Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients; Jan 2011
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