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Posts Tagged ‘Journal Of Clinical Nutrition’

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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Due to the popularity of recent findings, green tea has almost become synonymous with weight loss and diet. The addition of green tea diet into diet pills and weight loss supplements is perhaps spurred by reports of harmful side-effects of other drugs like ephedra.
Why Choose the Green Tea Diet?
For four thousand years, green tea has been used all throughout Asia as a beneficial health and medicinal drink. It is different from all other tea diets because its liquid is extracted by steaming the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant as opposed to full oxidation. In this way, the green tea diet manages to preserve a lot more antioxidants and keep them intact for the body to use.
The green tea diet is an excellent source of polycatechin polyphenols, a group of antioxidants that act on free radicals. These free radicals have harmful effects on the body since they are the major causes of diseases and aging. With polycatechin polyphenols, a person has a better chance of avoiding ailments and keeping himself healthy for a much longer period of time.
Another antioxidant in the green tea diet is also being studied as a potential cure for cancer. Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG found in the diet has been discovered to destroy cancer cells while keeping surrounding healthy cells unharmed.
The EGCG also acts with another compound, caffeine (a small amount of this is found in green tea). The interaction of these two compounds causes the diet to promote thermogenesis in the body.
It has been noted by a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that with the consumption of the green tea diet, the body’s total 24-hour energy expenditure is increased by up to four percent. This is roughly equivalent to losing more than 10 pounds of weight a month.
The diet helps increase the body’s metabolic rates. With its thermogenic properties, it is only natural that it can also promote faster metabolism of fats and sugars. Excess glucose found in the body is turned into fats by the hormone insulin. Because green tea has an inhibiting effect on insulin, it therefore helps keep sugar from being stored as fats and instead, send them directly into the muscles for immediate use.
The Downside
Although the diet has a reputation for boosting health, scientific proofs of its health benefits are still somewhat mixed. However, in an article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, American researchers collaborated with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the beneficial effects of green tea diet on cholesterol levels.
Using 240 men and women (average age 55) who possess mild to moderately high LDL cholesterol levels, the researchers instructed them to retain their usual low-fat diet, green tea diet intake, and activity levels. After twelve weeks, it was found that those who consumed the green tea diet extract with their regular meals lost more than fifteen percent of their total LDL cholesterol levels.
Although the researchers never explained how the green tea diet may influence cholesterol levels, previous studies have shown that certain compounds play a role in reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the body, increasing amount of cholesterol excreted, and thus keeping cholesterol from being stored in the liver.
Subsequent studies were made to test the findings of the first group of researchers. Their results were contradictory. They found there was no significant effect on the cholesterol profiles of their subjects.
There is no such thing as a miracle diet. The green tea diet like all other diets needs a lot of work and input from those who enroll in it. It requires both discipline and determination for it to make any significant impact on your weight loss goals.

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Many diet formulas are just fads that don’t work. The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program is based on scientifically effective ingredients that help you lose weight and keep it off.Dieters are always searching for the holy grail of weight loss — a healthy product that melts fat effortlessly. As a result, ads for miracle diet pills and weight loss methods are everywhere. At best, many of the diet formulas that people try are ineffective and disappointing; and at worst, some have major side effects and can cause serious damage to your health. Ephedra, or ma huang, for example, is a stimulant that can cause jittery behavior or even heart trouble. It’s not a true thermogenic, and in fact, it’s dangerous. Unlike other herbal products like ephedra and prescription drugs for obesity, green tea extract does not increase heart rates or raise blood pressure.The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program is based on clinical evidence and healthy results. The products in the Chi Tea Weight Loss Program have been scientifcally proven to help you lose weight naturally and safely. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in metabolic energy expenditure and a significant effect on fat oxidation. A 4% overall increase in energy expenditure was attributed to the green tea extract. What’s more, the researches found that the extra expenditure occurred during the daytime, which led them to conclude that since thermogenesis (the body’s own rate of burning calories) contributes 8-10% of daily energy expenditure in a typical subject, that this 4% overall increase in energy expenditure due to the green tea actually translated to a 35-43% increase in daytime thermogenesis! Chi Tea products harness these impressive thermogenic properties.So what is the Chi Tea Weight Loss Program? It consists of three fat-burning supplements: Ultimate Green Tea, Ener-Chi Cafe and Ener-Chi Sport.Chi Tea Ultimate Green Tea is a concentrated extract that uses 50 pounds of premium quality green tea leaves per pound of product. This means that drinking 1 cup of Ultimate Green Tea is equal to 12-15 cups of regular teabag green tea! Chi Tea Ultimate Green Tea contains more than 95% polyphenol antioxidants and 62% fat-fighting EGCG. The Ener-Chi collection consists of two natural energy elixirs filled with fatigue-blasting vitamins and herbal extracts. Ener-Chi has a high concentration of green tea and other fat busters like L-Carnitine which help to rapidly melt away stored fat in your hips, thighs and belly. The unique blend of vitamins and herbs in Ener-Chi gives you a sustained mental and physical energy boost without the “jolt and crash” you normally get from drinking coffee or sugary energy drinks. Ener-Chi comes in two flavors: Ener-Chi Cafe has a delicious natural coffee flavor, and Ener-Chi Sport has a refreshing natural orange flavor.DAILY CHI TEA WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM:* 2 glasses of Chi Tea Ultimate Green Tea anytime during the day* 1 Morning Cup of Ener-Chi Café * 1 Afternoon glass of  Ener-Chi Sport The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program consists of drinking a cup Of Ener Chi Cafe in the morning as a delicious herbal coffee substitute. To prepare, simply squirt 1-2 dropperfuls (according to taste) into a cup of hot water, add dairy or non dairy milk, and enjoy!Ener-Chi Sport is perfect for later in the afternoon when you’re in need of an energy boost. Simply squirt 1-2 dropperfuls (according to taste) into a glass or bottle of cold water, and you’ve got a refreshing, all-natural energy drink. The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program is completed daily by drinking two cups of delicious Chi Tea Ultimate Green Tea in hot or cold water, or added to your favorite beverage, anytime during the day.The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program is not just about losing weight — it’s about gaining health. Apart from its amazing antioxidant power, we know that supplementation with green tea can reduce the risk not only for obesity but also for heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.  The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program is most effective when combined with an overall wellness plan of health-giving foods and physical activity. Clearly, drinking green tea alone is not going to magically shed all of those unwanted pounds. However, combined with a sensible diet and exercise program, you will be thrilled at how quickly the pounds come off. Are you ready for a safe weight loss program that really works ?Some helpful suggestions include: ·            Make a list of the reasons you want to lose weight.·            Set a goal to lose a certain number of pounds in a certain amount of time.·            Strive to eat a sensible diet consisting of healthy foods,                     organically grown when possible..            Maintain a positive attitude.             Visualize the clothes that you would like to wear and the activities that you would like to do when the weight is off.·            Drink 8 glasses of water daily (the teas count).·            Design a daily exercise regimen that is enjoyable and convenient for you, whether it’s hitting the gym, dancing with      your kids, taking a long walk with  your dog, or stretching and meditating with some private yoga time. If you enjoy doing it, you’ll stick with it. For more information about the Chi Tea Weight Loss Program, including helpful articles and tips on living a healthy lifestyle, visit our website and blog at www.vivaherbals.com.Chi Tea Weight Loss Program of Chi Tea Green Tea and Ener-Chi can be purchased online at www.vivaherbals.com and in select health food stores, gyms and pharmacies

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