Fish Oil and Weight Loss

There are many health benefits of fish oil, but what about fish oil and weight loss?

Fish oil, which comes from the tissue of fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, is one of the few dietary sources that contains a substantial amount of the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). DHA and EPA are essential fatty acids (EFAs) that are critical for good health, but the body is not able to produce them and they must come from food or supplements. Many people are deficient in DHA and EPA.

The health benefits of fish oil are powerful: it reduces the risk for heart disease and heart attack, it improves blood vessel functioning, it increases HDL (good) cholesterol, and it lowers blood pressure. There's also strong evidence that fish oil may help in the treatment of ADHD and depression, may reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease, may help prevent age-related macular degeneration (an eye disorder), and may reduce the risk for developing breast, colon and prostate cancer.

With regard to fish oil and weight loss, several studies have indicated that the DHA and EPA (especially the DHA) in fish oil can help with weight loss. Although additional studies are needed to confirm these initial studies, fish oil looks very promising when it comes to helping with weight loss.

Here are the reasons why researchers believe that fish oil helps with weight loss:

* It helps regulate blood sugar levels.
* It reduces insulin resistance.
* It reduces chronic inflammation.
* It improves fat metabolism.
* It increases fat burning during exercise.
* It reduces triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood).
* It helps prevent fat cells from forming and expanding in size.

Although eating fatty fish provides you with DHA and EPA, there's a growing concern that many types of fatty fish are contaminated with PCBs, mercury and other environmental toxins. There's also no way to be sure that the fish you're eating contains enough DHA and/or EPA to provide maximum health benefits. This is why many people are turning to fish oil supplements. A high quality fish oil supplement will be free of contaminants and contain a high concentration of DHA and EPA.

When it comes to purchasing a fish oil supplement, you need to be very selective in what brand you choose. Several brands have been found to contain PCBs, mercury, dioxins, arsenic and lead, and the oil in several brands has been found to be rancid. Also, many low quality fish oil supplements do not contain enough DHA and/or EPA to help with weight loss. Only buy fish oil supplements from a trusted company that has a track record of producing high quality products and whose products are backed by solid clinical evidence supporting their efficacy and safety.

In conclusion, now that you're aware of the connection between fish oil and weight loss, you should consider making fish oil supplements a regular part of your diet if you're trying to lose weight. In addition to potentially helping you lose weight, fish oil supplements will provide you with plenty of other health benefits.