Can Omega-3 Fish Oil Help You Lose Weight?

Many people today are trying to lead healthy lives. The main reason for this is that they want to lose weight. You can go online and find hundreds of diets to try. Unfortunately, it is hard to know which diets are work and which ones don’t.

One great way to lose weight is by adding a few of the foods that are considered superfoods to our diet. One very effective superfood is Omega-3 fatty acids, which is found in fish. Omega-3 fatty acids can help you lose weight, it can help your heart, and can even increase your brain function. There are have plenty of studies to prove that omega-3 fatty acids can also improve your skin health and it can reduce your risk of depression.

What Is Omega-3 Fish Oil?

There are several types of omega-3 fats, however, the ones that are most important to your health are classified into two main groups. The first is essential omega-3 fatty acids. These are found in plant foods such as flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and chia seeds. The second group is long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. They are found in fatty fish, fish oil, seafood, and algae.

How Does Omega-3 Fish Oil Help You Lose Weight?

Plenty of studies have been performed to learn more about the positive effects of omega-3 fish oil. These studies have shown that there are several ways that fish oil omega-3’s can help you lose weight.

Reduce Hunger: One of the main causes of obesity is overeating. According to a recent study, omega-3 fish oil is effective in decreasing your appetite. The study had two groups of people. The first group was given just 0.3 grams of fish oil omega-3’s each day. The second group was given close to a gram and a half of the fish oil. The group who took more reported feeling full for at least two hours after a meal, while the group who was given less reported feeling hungry again not long after they finished after eating. There have been other studies that have shown the opposite results. In this study, the group who took high doses of fish oil many of the participants reported feeling 20 percent less full after a good breakfast than usual. Also, 28 percent of the participants felt a strong desire to eat after a well-balanced meal.

Improve Metabolism: A fast metabolism is important in burning calories. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you will burn. One study was performed on young adults who were relatively healthy. For 12 weeks, the participants took 6 grams of fish oil each day. After 12 week period, their metabolic rates were tested. The results indicated that the participants had increased their metabolism by 3.8 percent. Another study was performed on older women who were relatively healthy. After taking 3 grams of fish oil for the 12 week period, their metabolic rates increased by 14 percent. This helped the women burn close to 200 more calories each day.

Boost the Effects of Exercise: Recent studies have shown that if you consume fish oil, it can double the number of calories that your burn while working out. When you workout, your body uses carbohydrates for fuel. If you start taking fish oil supplements, it will help you use fat as a source of fuel during a workout rather than carbohydrates. The study that proved this was performed had women. They were told to take 3 grams of fish oil for 12 weeks. The study found that they were burning up to 27 percent more calories when they worked out.

Helps You Lose Fat and Inches: If you find that omega-3’s are not helping you lose weight, it could be that they are helping your build muscle and lose body fat. Since muscle weighs more than fat, you won’t see the results when you step on the scale but you will with a tape measure or by the ways that your clothes are fitting. A study was performed where half the group was given 4 grams of true fish oil and the other half were given a placebo pill. The participants weren’t told which group they would be in. The group that was given the placebo didn’t lose any weight at all. The group who was given the fish oil lost a little over 1 pound when the study was complete. They also gained a little bit over one pound of muscle.

Safety and Dosage

If you are planning to start an omega-3 fish oil regimen, you should do some research so that you can do so safely. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), you can safely take up to 3,000 mg each day. Taking more than that can be dangerous. If you are taking a medication that thins your blood, you might want to talk to your doctor before taking the supplement. Omega-3 fish oil has blood-thinning properties that can make it dangerous. Also, you should pay attention to the supplement that you are taking.

Some types of omega-3’s on the market today, such as cod liver oil, contain vitamin A. In high doses, this can be toxic. This is especially true in children and pregnant women. Finally, you should check the contents of the supplements. There are some types that don’t contain much EPA or DHA fish oil. It is important to check for these ingredients so that you can be sure that you aren’t using a “fake” product.

Overall, taking omega-3 fish oil supplements can be great for your weight and your overall health. To get the most out of your fish oil supplement, you should find one that is made up of at least 500 mg or 50 percent of DHA and EPA per 1,000 mg.