A lot has been discussed on the benefits of omega 3 fish oil for weight loss. It is known to be one of the most effective combination helpful in losing the unwanted fat in your body. Read this article and know the contribution of omega 3 fish oil when it comes to weight loss.
Weight loss is something that we all want, but seldom get! I mean one needs to be very focused and determined to stick to the weight loss regime,, and then with a lot of workout, achieve a fat less, toned, and lean body. People who don’t have the time for regular workouts opt for a diet plan instead. It’s a very widely spread misconception that less food consumption helps in losing weight. To your surprise eating the “right” food in more quantities can help boost the rate of weight loss. In fact, there are some food which actually burn more calories in your body than the calories they actually have, omega 3 fish oil works on the same mechanism.
Shedding All Fats in the Body Isn’t Good
Not all kinds of fats are harmful for the body. In fact, there are a certain amount of fats that are required by the body for protection against various disorders. There are 4 types of fats in the body which are as follows.
- Monounsaturated: These are beneficial fats required by our body which helps in reducing triglycerides, blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. They are found in foods like cashews, olives, peanuts, chicken fat, pistachios, etc.
- Polyunsaturated: These fats benefit the body by reducing tumor growth and inflammations. They also contribute in strengthening the body’s immune system and cardiovascular diseases. These polyunsaturated fats can be further categorized into two categories.
1. Omega 3: Omega 3 fatty acid foods includes items like walnuts, salmon, tuna, trout, etc.
2. Omega 6: It is found in foods like beans, sesame oil, nuts, sunflower oil etc. The ideal ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 is approximately 2:1, but sadly most people lack in consumption of omega 3 in the correct amount to avail its miraculous benefits. - Saturated: These fats prove to be bad and unhealthy as they are responsible for increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cholesterol, and heart stroke. These fats are present in our favorite and most eaten food items like meats, cheese, non-skimmed whole milk, and so on. Though it’s a little difficult to eliminate these fats from our diet, we can definitely minimize them. For example, we can go for skimmed milk instead of whole milk, white meat instead of red meats.
- Trans Fats: These fats are again the ones that highly worsen the risk of cardiovascular diseases, heart strokes, increase the level of LDL which comes under the category of bad cholesterol and decreases HDL which is beneficial for the health.
So, now that we know that omega 6 and omega 3 are essential fatty acids (EFA) required by our body to perform necessary functions, which can’t be possible otherwise, let’s discuss in details what are the benefits.
Benefits of Omega 3 Fish Oil
Both omega 3 and omega 6 are EFAs required for the production of hormones called eicosanoids which are responsible for important body functions like digestion, fat storage and formation, and production of insulin in our body. Some other benefits are discussed as under.
- Proves beneficial for prevention against heart diseases.
- Improves memory and concentration.
- Helps to overcome low moods, depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Helps in cases of ADHD & hyperactivity.
- Schizophrenia
- It also helps in reducing stiffness and joint tenderness in reference to Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Omega 3 also helps to lower the blood pressure.
These are just a few benefits that one gets from omega 3 fish oil supplements. There are many sources of Omega-3 available in the market and they all vary depending upon the brand and company. As mentioned above, omega-3 fish oils are helpful and extremely beneficial for cardiovascular system, it also helps lowered LDL cholesterol levels, and when taken constantly, it also proves beneficial to get relief from problems like joint pain and arthritis.
Contribution of Omega 3 Fish Oil Towards Weight Loss
Omega-3 fatty acids are a part of the essential fatty acids that our body is unable to produce on its own and therefore it becomes important for us to supply omega 3 fish oil dosage on a regular and right amount. Let’s see how omega 3 fish oil helps in weight loss.
After many researches and studies, it has now been scientifically proven that omega 3 fish oil definitely helps a person lose the excess and unwanted fat deposits. In one of such researches it was clearly proven that including omega 3 fish oil pills in your diet along with average physical exercises actually boosts the process of losing weight! It has been proved that intake of omega 3 fish oil increases the metabolic rate by activating fat burning enzymes, especially in the abdominal area of the body. Doesn’t this make an excellent option to lose belly fat, which is the most stubborn fat deposit in the body! Another research which was published recently in the international of obesity highlighted the important contribution of omega 3 fish oil in the diet and how it aids weight loss. A group of people were divided into two parts wherein “Group 1″(with omega 3 fish oil supplements included in the diet) and “Group 2″(without omega 3 fish oil supplements) were monitored regularly in terms of their weight loss trend in the body. Both the groups were given the same amount of food and exercise, with the exception that only group 1 was given omega 3 fish oil supplements, 8 capsules a day, 2 in the morning, and 3 in the lunch and evening. The results were as follows:
Details | With Omega 3 | Without Omega 3 |
Amount of body fat lost | 0.7 pounds | -2 pounds |
Metabolic rate per day | 1710 calories | 1775 calories |
From the table above you can clearly see the results. The metabolic rate has increased for “Group 1”, which took omega 3 fish oil supplements as compared to “Group 2”, which didn’t. Also, the amount of measurement of lost body fat was more in “Group 1” as compared to “Group 2”. This is approximately 26% more than “group 2” which weren’t given omega 3 fish oil in their diet. The researchers also found out that intake of omega 3 fish oil had lowered the insulin level in the body by 50% due to which there was a boost in the fat burning metabolism. It is said that high level of insulin in the body deprives the body to use the stored fat as fuel and therefore the procedure of fat burning is reduced. Omega 3 fish oil boosts the fat burning procedure by lowering the insulin levels, due to which there was increase in the metabolic rate and loss of body fat.
After so much of detailed and scientifically proven results, it won’t be wrong to say that Omega 3 fish oil is a brilliant source of boosting your metabolism to burn off the excess fat from your body. Many people would say that why can’t we just eat fish instead of taking essential fatty acids supplements? Well, another issue is pollution which has infected our oceans so much that eating too much of fish won’t be advisable due to the toxic contaminants found in them. Therefore, for your body to have the right amount of omega 3 fish oil dosage, it is advisable to go for supplements from a good brand which are efficient in taking away the toxic contaminants from the fish oil. The bottom line is to do what is right for your body and health! So choose the right diet and stay in the right shape. Good luck! 🙂