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Omega 3 And Weight Loss

Omega 3 and weight loss are a match made in heaven, yet when people think of weight loss supplements, they will usually imagine products filled with ingredients they have never heard of. However, one of the most effective is something that almost everyone will know and should be included in virtually any diet, which is omega 3. With that being the case, it does beg the question “Why are more people not using omega 3 to lose weight?”

The answer to that appears to be twofold. Not only do many people fail to realize that weight loss is one of the benefits that can be achieved by taking omega 3, but even some of those who do simply don’t believe that something so common and simple could have such a powerful effect. As a result, the full potential of this fantastic nutrient goes unutilized by most people.

That is why we have decided to create the following article. In it, we will explain all that you need to know about both omega 3 and weight loss, to ensure you are fully prepared and capable of using it to create impressive results for yourself.

Table of Contents

What Is Omega 3?

Omega 3 is a type of healthy, essential fatty acid and polyunsaturated fat that clinical studies show is one of the most beneficial nutrients for the human body. As our body is unable to produce it naturally, we must get our omega-3 intake either from supplements or the foods we eat in our diet.

Omega 3 comes in three different forms, which are ALAs (alpha-linolenic acid), EPAs (eicosapentaenoic acid), and DHAs (docosahexaenoic acid). All 3 forms are similar but function in slightly different ways, and EPAs and DHAs are generally considered to be the most beneficial types for humans. They can all be found in slightly different sources too, although some of these sources contain more than just one type of omega 3 (1).

The list of health benefits omega 3s are capable of producing is extensive, but today we will exclusively be examining how they help you lose weight. For anyone who wants to read more about the other health benefits that omega 3 can offer, we recently published two articles covering all of these in great detail, which you can read here and here.

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Omega 3 And Weight Loss: How Do Omega 3s Help You Lose Weight?

Boosting Metabolism

Omega-3s can help increase your metabolic rate, meaning you will burn more calories even at rest. As a result, your body will use the calories from any foods that you eat far quicker than it usually would, forcing it to turn to burning fat for fuel much sooner, greatly accelerating weight loss in the process (2).

Reducing Inflammation & Blood Sugar Levels

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to possess potent anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce the body’s inflammation levels. Chronic inflammation is particularly problematic for weight loss, as it can lead to insulin resistance, making it harder for the body to burn fat and process glucose (3).

By reducing inflammation, omega-3s may improve fat metabolism and glucose sensitivity, helping you burn fat and enjoy better blood sugar levels, which will promote weight loss, reduce fat storage, and even give you more energy (4).

Learn more about Omega-3 and Inflammation here

Improving Exercise Performance & Recovery

The increased energy levels we touched on in the previous point combine well with some of the other benefits of omega-3s to improve exercise performance. This includes increasing a person’s stamina, strength, muscle growth, cardiovascular health and endurance, mental focus, mood, and immunity, and reducing inflammation and muscle soreness. Not only that, but they then also promote faster recovery after a workout too.

You put all of this together, and it means you will be able to conduct far longer and more intense workouts much more frequently, which is ideal for helping you burn fat and calories and lose weight (5).

Did you know that Omega-3 can lower cortisol? Learn more here

Preventing Fat Storage

Some studies suggest that omega-3s may help reduce the amount of fat stored in the body, especially around the abdominal area. It achieves this by increasing fat oxidation, regulating fat cell activity, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation, and modifying fat storage hormones. This benefit is not only very useful for weight loss, it is also especially important for your overall health, as abdominal fat is linked to higher health risks (6).

Appetite Regulation

Omega-3 fatty acids appear to help with appetite regulation by affecting the hormones that control hunger, such as leptin and ghrelin. By increasing your sensitivity to leptin, you will feel fuller sooner, while decreasing your ghrelin levels will prevent the feeling of hunger from returning as quickly. By making you feel fuller for much longer, omega 3s can help lower your overall calorie intake by reducing the desire to snack or cheat on your diet.

This is aided by the ability of omega 3s to optimize blood sugar levels too, while there is even some evidence that, like many fats, omega 3s increase feelings of satiety after a meal, so you will mentally feel fuller as well (7).

Enhancing Fat Oxidation

Studies show that Omega-3s may even directly help the body burn fat more efficiently, particularly during exercise or periods of strenuous physical activity. This could potentially lead to greater fat loss over time, especially when combined with regular physical activity and a healthy diet.

Omega 3 achieves this mainly due to its ability to increase the activity of the mitochondria, which are responsible for converting fat into energy, activating fat-burning genes like PPAR-alpha (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha) much sooner and more effectively than usual, and stimulating lipolysis, which is the process through which the body burns stored fat cells.

The way in which it improves insulin sensitivity, energy expenditure, and exercise performance, and reduces fat storage hormones will then support this effect even more (8).