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Posts Tagged ‘3 Fatty Acids’

The biologically active ingredients that seem to make fatty fish so beneficial are are the long chain omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, EPA and DHA. At least a half a dozen human studies and more than two dozen animal studies have been completed in the last 10 years which suggest that these omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may help you lose more fat. However, the fat loss benefit is not as much as some people want you to believe…

The results of two new studies on fish oil and fat loss were just released earlier this year. In one study published by the International Journal of Obesity, researchers from Reykjavik Iceland tested the effects of fish or fish oil consumption equivalent to 1.5 grams of combined EPA/DHA on body weight and body composition as part of a calorie restricted diet. (1)

The subjects were 324 young overweight men and women who followed one of four experimental protocols for 8 weeks:

(1) sunflower oil capsules (control)

(2) lean fish

(3) fatty fish (salmon)

(4) fish oil capsules

The researchers reported the following results:

“In young, overweight men, the inclusion of either lean or fatty fish, or fish oil as part of a hypoenergetic diet resulted in 1 kilogram more weight loss after 4 weeks than a similar diet without seafood or supplement of marine origin. The addition of seafood to a nutritionally balanced energy-restricted diet may boost weight loss.”

It should be noted that the study was supported by the Seafood Plus organization and there were some limitations in the design that could have influenced the subject’s compliance.

The second study, conducted at the University of South Australia and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2) investigated the effect of combining fish oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise.

In a 12-week, placebo-controlled study, the subjects were divided into four groups:

(1) sunflower oil

(2) sunflower oil plus exercise

(3) fish oil

(4) fish oil plus exercise.

The fish oil groups were given 6 grams of high DHA fish oil per day, which contained a total of 1.9 grams of long chain omega-3 fatty acids. The exercising groups performed aerobic exercise three days per week for 45 minutes.

As you might expect, the fish oil plus exercise group came out with the best results:

* minus 1.2% body fat (compared to no decrease in the other groups)

* minus 2 kilograms/4.4 lbs (compared to no decrease in the non exercise group).

Unfortunately, there was a limitation in this study as well: The food intake of the subjects was self reported, which is known to be notoriously inaccurate.

There have been several other human studies on fish oil and fat loss in the last ten years or so and the majority of the findings have been positive. The research is compelling and there have been numerous, and very plausible mechanisms of action proposed.

However, more and more often, I am hearing people in the health, fitness and nutrition industries making some pretty bold and I daresay, premature and outrageous claims about what fish oil can do for fat loss; claims which are not supported by the research.

The studies on fish oil and fat loss are encouraging, but the vast majority of research has been on animals (rats, mice and hamsters) and there have been limitations in nearly all the human studies so far, including:

Small sample sizes, short study durations, statistically insignificant results, lack of randomization, no control groups, imprecise body composition testing, measurement errors, self-reporting of food intake, low compliance control and fish industry or supplement industry-sponsored bias.

Even if you take the results of the existing research at face value, the fat loss really isn’t all that impressive – an extra pound here, an extra kilo there.

Many of the research results barely reach statistical significance, and you even have to wonder if these small improvements in fat loss are simply correcting omega-3 deficiency or fixing omega-3 and omega-6 imbalance… therefore, will they continue over a longer time period or is this a one time improvement?

One of the earlier studies showed the same kind of measurable but modest results: The fish oil group that took 1.8 grams of combined EPA/DHA daily lost 2 pounds and the non fish oil group lost only 0.7 pounds after 3 weeks (3).

Of course, you’ll probably take all the fat loss help that you can get, and since there are already enough good reasons to eat fatty fish for cardiovascular disease prevention and other health benefits, it’s really a no brainer to eat fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel or sardines at least twice a week. (By the way, with the exception of King Mackerel, these are species which have not been reported as having problems with mercury contamination).

Alternately, you can use a fish oil supplement to get the equivalent in omega-3 fatty acids as found in the fish. Non fish eaters or vegetarians can use flaxseed oil, a plant-based source of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) which converts in the body to EPA and DHA (the efficiency and amount of conversion has been a subject of controversy, however).

Based on the three studies cited above, it looks like 1.5 to 2.0 grams per day of combined DHA/EPA is the right dose when fat loss is the goal (although some suggest you should consider body weight when choosing the dosage, i.e., 1 gram total fish oil for each 20 lbs body weight, so a big guy might go with as much as 3.0 grams)

Most fish oil capsules come in 1,000 mg size at a 30% concentration, so if you took five 1000mg capsules a day, that would give you 1.5 grams of EPA/DHA; about the same as you’d get in 3 ounces (85 g) of salmon.

Note: other studies on fish oil and fat loss tested 3.0 to 4.0 g/day of EPA/DHA, but the American Heart Association has warned against taking more than 3 g EPA/DHA per day without a physicians supervision, as there may be potential contraindications and side effects such as increased bleeding time. Based on the research, more fish oil will NOT burn more fat, so be wary of the “mega dose gurus.”

Another tip: Don’t fall for the “premium price” necessarily means better quality party line. Quality and purity are important, but you can get molecularly-distilled, mercury, PCB, Dioxin, Organochlorine-free, 3rd party tested-to-meet-label-claims fish oil for less than ten bucks per bottle of 400 (one gram) capsules… yet I have seen “fish oil gurus” selling the exact same thing for $50 to $60 claiming that everyone else’s products are “contaminated” and “inferior” in quality. If that’s true, then I’d like to see those products submitted to consumer lab for voluntary 3rd party independent analysis and head to head comparison on purity AND cost effectiveness. If they come out superior and cost effective, I will gladly publicize the results myself.

The bottom line is it looks like fish oil may be a legitimate help to your fat loss efforts, especially when combined with exercise, as there may be an important synergy there. However, the idea that fish oil is some kind of miracle fat burner is just not true.

Like Mulder on the X-files, “I want to believe”… but we need much, much more research before we can say for certain exactly how much body composition improvement you can really expect from eating fatty fish or taking fish oil supplements.

More about fish oil:Learn here

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By taking certain health supplements, aging, diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure and cholesterol can be controlled.

These supplements can also increase energy levels, making it easier to be more physically active. With these same health supplements, heart circulation, energy and strength can be increased, again allowing people to be more physically active.Omega 3 is probably the most researched nutritional supplement in the world. The astounding health benefits of omega-3 have been studied by some of the most prestigious institutions and their findings have been reported in literally thousands of the world’s best peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals.

The two most important omega 3 fatty acids that help support a healthy heart are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).Food is good enough to keep us alive but apparently not good enough to fix us when we are sick. Nutritional supplements are necessary because the foods most of us eat are grown in mineral-depleted soils. There is evidence that increased intake of certain nutrients reduces the incidence of heart disease, cancer and stroke.

The good word from these nutritional authorities is simple: we live longer and healthier if we exercise, have a good diet and supplement.The herb ephedra (which is found in all dietary product and weight loss pills) and its extracts ephedrine and pseudo-ephedrine, found in over-the-counter cold remedies, can cause nervousness, insomnia, headache, and high blood pressure. Alkaloids, including substances such as caffeine, morphine, and quinine, which increase blood pressure and heart rate, all are to be avoided.Saturated fat causes the liver to overproduce cholesterol.

The liver makes about 75 percent of the cholesterol your body needs from internal sources, while the remaining 25 percent comes from food. But when you eat too much saturated fat, your liver keeps producing cholesterol and you end up with much more cholesterol than you need.Clinical trials have attempted to study the relationship between CoQ10 and many chronic diseases including, but not limited to, heart disease, cancer and AIDS. But heart disease has gained the most attention; congestive heart failure being one of the primary subjects. Because heart muscle cells require so much energy to function and CoQ10 is at the core of the cellular energy process it makes sense to suspect that congestive heart failure might be linked to CoQ10 deficiency.

The overwhelming new cases of diabetes in the world today are the result of insulin resistance. Physicians are busy treating blood sugars rather than the underlying problem, the insulin resistance. Diet, exercise, and potent nutritional supplements all improve sensitivity to your own insulin and are critical in preventing diabetes from occurring in the first place or, if you already have diabetes, helping control your diabetes. Stress has also been proven as a heavy contributor to health problems.

B vitamins have been shown in many tests and trials to reduce stress through increasing serotonin in he brain and therefore elevating moods. A happier person is generally a healthier person with a better quality life and in turn a healthier heart. Fish consumption and heart disease has been a topic of innumerable studies. One research project combined data taken from several such studies including the Chicago Western Electric Study, the Zutphen, Rotterdam and Swedish studies and the Study of U.S. Physicians among others. The goal of this research was to examine the relationship between fish consumption and the 30-year risk of death from coronary disease.

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Weight loss is a major dilemma that most people encounter at a certain point of their lives. May it be a challenge to fulfill or a need to accomplish in order to achieve a healthy body and life style, eating healthy foods to lose weight makes the job easier. In order reduce a calorie intake; you have to count your every bite. This is to determine the amount of calorie you need for building your muscle and to provide your body with enough nutrients as well as slashing off those excess pounds.

When trying to lose weight, eating healthy foods should go along taking up plenty of nutrients as possible and on the other hand, reducing the amount of calorie intake than the usual. It is important to understand this balance because most people misunderstood this process and end up eating poorly. This is a very bad approach since eating poorly while reducing weight may result to loss of muscle along with the fat which may lead to losing energy as well.

Fresh fruits and vegetable are just the perfect types of foods to lose weight. Moreover, Strawberries, citrus fruits, and vegetables like green peppers and tomatoes also make a great addition because these are low in calories and contains vitamin C. Another type of food that should be included is Avocadoes. This fruits are high in fiber has omega- 3 fatty acids which are not only good for the heart but also plays a very important role in brain function and also in our normal growth and development.

The amount of food intake is very crucial when talking about healthy eating and weight loss. Even if these are foods to lose weight, the amount of intake should still be controlled. Low-fat meats and even healthy fishes such as salmon should be eaten in minimum amount, a size of a deck cards will do. A cup or two of fresh steamed green beans or broccoli makes a healthy addition along with a single slice of whole grain bread.

Some considerations should also be taken cared. Eating white carbohydrates instead whole grains and protein rich foods such as beans, oatmeal, and low-fat cheese and yogurt is a NO-NO. Weight losses maybe achieve more quickly when the body acquires energy in the variety of top-quality protein and fats.

One basic step to monitor your intake of foods to lose weight is to writing it down. This is recommended by experts such as the American Academy of Family Physicians. According to them, this will allow the person involved to check whether the appropriate amount of certain food is followed .The same organization also advices reading the labels before buying a certain food. This is to identify healthy food and separate them from other foods that are very much processed and thus contains too much fat and sugar.

Wendy Gorman proficient niche website developer as well as an established writer. She specializes health issues particularly healthy diets is dedicated in finding the best weight loss action program. Visit these sites now and check her helpful tips and practical inputs in weight loss.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wendy_Gorman

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A mid in a healthy body is a very common sayong and which holds great truth in it too. If a person is healthy and fit he would be able of taking care of his life in a much better way. On the other hand if diseases and ailments are affecting you always then no matter how comfortable your life is you would not be able to enjoy it properly . This lets us understand the importance of fine health.

The most common of all ailments affecting most people now a days are related to the heart. Most heart ailments are the result of increased cholesterol levels which can prove to be disastrous for the heart. There are various medicines available in the market which would help you in, reducing your cholesterol. But if you could find some other non medicine method top take care of your cholesterol trouble then would it not be all the more better?

The 8 week cholesterol heal is the best medicine for you. It does not engage you taking any medications and allows you the advantages of lowered cholesterol. The 8 week cholesterol cure bases its treatment on natural products which when consumed reduce the bad cholesterol and aid in promoting the levels of good cholesterol. Topping the list of these products included in the 8 week cholesterol cure is garlic. Garlic has since long been related with a healthy heart and consuming it raw or cooked would help you tackle your cholesterol issues. The other piece in this list of the 8 week cholesterol cure diet involves fish and other sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids to have been known for their capacity to fight bad cholesterol. Red wine, green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli when incorporated in your diet too have been found to be very beneficial in enhancing the level of good cholesterol and reducing that of bad cholesterol.

The other fine method to take care of your body involves you going on a detox diet. The process of detoxification helps you to cleanse your body from all its toxins and make it clean internally . This process of detoxification has become very popular but one has to be cautiously when administering this. Going on a juice diet is the best way for detoxifying your body but one must ensure that the juices they use are free from any preservatives and sugar. If a water diet helps you in detoxifying your body then the quantity of water consumed should be kept in mind as too much of water is not fine. detoxifying your body is a very excellent thought but should be approached with caution.

If you have not been on a holiday since long and are yearning for one then you can fancy a holiday at the condo hotel fort lauderdale. The condo hotel Fort Lauderdale is best for holiday travelers as well as business travelers. The Condo Hotels Fort Lauderdale present first class amenities and is expediently located for local attractions. To relax, there is a great beach on and the Marina runs charters for deep sea fishing, snorkeling and diving. Gallery One is on the Intercoastal Waterway and is close to the beach. It was previously the Doubletree Hotel and was extensively renovated when it was transformed to a Condo Hotel Fort Lauderdale could be proud of.

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