Obesity: a diet supported by fish oil supplements to get back in shape?

Omega 3 may help reduce fat mass and lose weight in those suffering from obesity, but the effect is limited only to the early stages of a very strict diet. These are the conclusions reached by experts from the Nutraceuticals Research Group at Newcastle University, Australia, at the end of a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Obesity and weight loss: the role of omega-3s

Obesity is a condition that influences several health risk factors:

- levels of inflammation;

- Accumulation of fats present in the blood;

- different aspects of metabolism associated with the development of cardiovascular disorders.

Years of research has shown that taking omega-3 fatty acids helps counteract these risk factors.

Omega-3 for weight loss: the study

Australian researchers wanted to test whether these nutrients could help those suffering from obesity lose weight. The study involved 32 obese individuals who were put on an extremely strict dietary regimen for 4 weeks. This was followed by 10 weeks on a diet designed to maintain weight loss. Eighteen of the participants were instructed to take a fish oil capsule containing Omega-3, equal to 70 mg of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and 270 mg of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), 6 times a day for all 14 weeks. In contrast, the other 14 patients took a capsule containing a placebo 6 times a day. Throughout the period, the researchers checked that the participants were following the dietary regimen correctly to ensure that energy intake was equal in all. The effect ofOmega-3 intake was analyzed by collecting fasting blood samples and assessing anthropometric parameters (such as weight and amount of mass) before starting the diet, after the first 4 weeks and at the end of the study.

The results

Diet and maintenance resulted in improved metabolic parameters in both groups of patients. Not only that, fish oil intake also resulted in increased levels of EPA and DHA in the blood. After 14 weeks, a significant reduction in fat mass was observed in those who had taken Omega-3, which was not achieved by those who had received the placebo. However, these improvements were not accompanied by a large difference in weight loss. In fact, Omega-3 allowed slightly greater weight loss only in the first 4 weeks, at the end of which the average weight loss of patients who had taken fish oil was 7.7 percent (or about 6.67 kg) versus 6.9 percent (about 6.54 kg) for those who had taken placebo. Both groups of patientsalso lost weightduring the maintenance phase, but without significant differences (1.9% who had taken fish oil, 1.85% who had taken placebo).

Results to be verified

The differences observed between the 2 groups, although modest, indicate that the greater loss of fat mass associated with fish oil intake may be promoted by Omega-3s. Further studies, conducted on a larger number of patients, may help clarify the role of Omega-3s as a remedy for obesity.