Body Express

Supplement of the day – Fish Oil

Fish oil has been mentioned time and again in various publications about its benefits as a supplement to achieve your weight loss goals.

This is due to the key ingredient found in fish oils, which are Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3s are a type of polyunsaturated fat found primarily in seafood. When taken as part of a healthy diet or as a supplement , omega 3 fatty acids confers several benefits to the human body, such as hormone regulation, improving bone health and cardiovascular profile, preventing the incidences of cancer by acting as an antioxidant, and also promoting fat loss efficiency.

One of the key reasons as to why omega 3 fish oil has such a powerful effect on fat metabolism is its effect on insulin levels.

Insulin is a hormone that reduces the use of fat for fuel, while also promoting fat storage in the presence of excess calories.It increases the activity of an enzyme known to promote the storage of fat and inhibits the action of hormone sensitive lipase, which is responsible for breaking down stored fat and preparing it for use as energy.

Insulin also activates an enzyme, which, along with fatty acid synthesis, is responsible for converting carbohydrate into fat.

Simply put, high levels of insulin make it less likely that your body will use stored fat as a fuel source. However, when fish oil is added to the diet, various study subjects have shown up to a  50% reduction in insulin levels, resulting in an improved utilization of fat as energy.

Rich sources of natural omega 3s can be found in fatty fish such as salmon, trout, some species of tuna and also sardines. For vegetarians, omega 3s can be found in avocados, flaxseed oil and also chia seeds.

So in conclusion, if you have been doing all the right things when it comes to diet and exercise but are not seeing the results that you expect, fish oil may be the key.