Low fat diets, no fat diets and even no food diets. You have done it all. Diets, pills, workouts and more, but you are still unable to lose that excess weight.
People try out various methods and remedies to resolve their weight problems, and often overlook the solution right in front of their eyes. After trying out all the diets and miracle drugs, isn’t it time to consider this healthy alternative? Have you ever thought of using fish oil for weight loss?
Fish oil supplements contain the healthy omega-3 fatty acids that are said to have many health benefits and can help in cancer prevention, improved cardiovascular health and a healthier immune function.
They also help in healing depression, and in the possible prevention of some psychotic disorders. In fact, the use of omega 3 supplements for children and adults suffering from ADD and ADHD is well-known.
There are some studies that show evidence that systemic inflammation may be reduced by adding omega-3 fatty acids to our daily diets. Aside from these benefits, it is also believed that these essential fats can help in losing weight.
Scientific proof: Many studies all over the world have discovered a relationship between fish oil and weight loss. A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition reported that omega-3 fish oil may stop pre-fat cells from converting into fat by killing off the pre-fat cells.
Other studies showed that when an omega 3 supplement was added to a healthy diet, along with regular exercise, people lost a greater percentage of body fat than those who did not supplement with fish oil.
While some studies have challenged the concept that fish oil can help in weight loss, most research studies agree that the benefits provided are too wide to be ignored.
How does fish oil for weight loss work? It is important to understand just exactly how this important nutrient works in our bodies to help us lose weight.
There are a few ways that the fish oils work, including:
- Turning off your fat storage genes and switching on your fat burning genes
- Increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain which ultimately leads to less food cravings
- Inhibiting stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline from becoming activated
- Increasing your body’s ability to metabolize fat
- Blocking the absorption of sugar to prevent blood sugar spikes
People who are overweight suffer from many of these issues- stressors that cause them to overeat, slow metabolism, blood sugar highs and lows. All of these factors contribute to a person’s weight problem. Omega 3 fatty acids seek to remedy these issues, so that you do not overeat and your body works as a fat burning machine rather than as a fat storage facility.
Adding fish oil to your diet: The best natural sources of omega 3’s for weight loss are salmon, tuna, sardines and herring. They provide not only the protein content but also omega 3 fatty acids, the much-needed fats that our bodies need.
But you would need to eat an awful amount of fish every day to see any benefit that omega 3’s can provide in helping weight loss. And that does not even take into account how quickly you would tire of eating the same foods every single day – week after week, month after month.
So then how do you get the right amount of fish oil each day?
Fish oil supplements: Since most people cannot consume the required amount of fish, omega 3 fatty acid supplements offer a convenient way to get the right amounts of these healthy fatty acids into our bodies. Providing us with all the weight loss benefits that go with them.
By adding fish oil supplements, you can be able to get the right amount of the required of omega fatty acids each day as per your individual requirement.
But of course, as we know not all fish oil supplements are created the same. You will want to make sure that the omega supplement you choose is 100 percent pure and natural, and that it contains adequate levels of the essential omega-3 fatty acids.
It is better to never skimp on quality when it comes to any health supplements, and more so for fish oil because a poor quality supplement can actual be harmful and can impact your health in the long-term.
Many of the fish oil supplements available in the market today contain high levels of mercury and other hazardous pollutants. They have not undergone the stringent distillation and purification process that is required.
Omega-3 oils can be unsafe for health when the fish is sourced comes from polluted waters. These fish often carry toxins like mercury, lead, arsenic, PCBs, etc along with essential fats.
If the supplements are not of the best quality you may be at risk for potential side effects of taking low quality omega 3 supplements. Some of the symptoms are:
- Upset stomach
- Diarrhea
- Acid reflux/heartburn
It is also important that you do not take more than the recommended dosage of these supplements.
The health benefits of omega fatty acids have been proven time and time again, and daily supplementation of fish oil can give a tremendous boost to one’s health. And the pleasant side effect is weight loss.
In fact, with all the information out there regarding fish oil for weight loss, there seem to be more studies in favor of using it, rather than perceiving it as just another “miracle” diet pill.