Fish oil can help tremendously with fat metabolism and weight loss. However, certain factors can boost these benefits and other factors can completely cancel them.
A multitude of studies have examined the potential effects of fish oil weight loss. Unfortunately, relatively few have shown how other factors might influence the results, either positively or negatively. This is why so many studies listed on PubMed, our national medical database, show contradictory results.
One of the better studies, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007, shows that fish oils can reduce fat mass and increase lean mass, whereas vegetable oils can do just the opposite. This and similar reports point to the positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids from fish and the negative effects of omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils.
In addition, this study also showed that a crucial factor for getting positive effects from fish oil is exercise. Even moderate exercise, such as walking for 45 minutes at 75 percent of age-predicted maximal heart rate, just 3 days each week, boosts the benefits of fish oil. In the absence of exercise, the effects of fish oil are insignificant.
After taking into account all the seemingly contradictory results of multiple studies regarding the effects of fish oil on weight loss, we can consistently see four take-home lessons:
1) The benefits of fish oil are undermined by an overabundance of vegetable oil in the diet. This result underscores the general recommendation that the average intake of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which is currently at about 20:1, should be closer to 2:1. Consume more fish oil. Consume less vegetable oil.
2) Fish oil is beneficial for losing fat and building lean mass, in combination with moderate exercise. There are almost no such benefits in the absence of exercise.
3) The benefits of dietary fish oil are also undermined by sugar. In particulary, fructose and its widespread addition to foods and beverages as high fructose corn syrup cancel out the positive effects of fish oil.
4) The daily amount of fish oil is crucial. It should be at least 1.5 grams, with 2-3 grams being even better. It is also important to take fish oil supplements that have the highest amounts of EPA and DHA, which are the two main omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil.
A multitude of studies have examined the potential effects of fish oil weight loss. Unfortunately, relatively few have shown how other factors might influence the results, either positively or negatively. This is why so many studies listed on PubMed, our national medical database, show contradictory results.
One of the better studies, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007, shows that fish oils can reduce fat mass and increase lean mass, whereas vegetable oils can do just the opposite. This and similar reports point to the positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids from fish and the negative effects of omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils.
In addition, this study also showed that a crucial factor for getting positive effects from fish oil is exercise. Even moderate exercise, such as walking for 45 minutes at 75 percent of age-predicted maximal heart rate, just 3 days each week, boosts the benefits of fish oil. In the absence of exercise, the effects of fish oil are insignificant.
After taking into account all the seemingly contradictory results of multiple studies regarding the effects of fish oil on weight loss, we can consistently see four take-home lessons:
1) The benefits of fish oil are undermined by an overabundance of vegetable oil in the diet. This result underscores the general recommendation that the average intake of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which is currently at about 20:1, should be closer to 2:1. Consume more fish oil. Consume less vegetable oil.
2) Fish oil is beneficial for losing fat and building lean mass, in combination with moderate exercise. There are almost no such benefits in the absence of exercise.
3) The benefits of dietary fish oil are also undermined by sugar. In particulary, fructose and its widespread addition to foods and beverages as high fructose corn syrup cancel out the positive effects of fish oil.
4) The daily amount of fish oil is crucial. It should be at least 1.5 grams, with 2-3 grams being even better. It is also important to take fish oil supplements that have the highest amounts of EPA and DHA, which are the two main omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil.
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