Omega-3 for Overweight: Low Doses of Fish Oil Effective in the Short Term
Omega-3 fights obesity: how fish oil works on an overweight body
The intake of low doses of Omega-3 contained in fish oil already exerts a short-term anti-inflammatory effect that protects the cardiovascular health of overweight individuals. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from Aarhus University Hospital in Aalborg (Denmark), following a study aimed at analyzing the earliest effects of supplementing the diet with small amounts of these fatty acids. The news, published in the journal Nutrition Research, adds a new piece to the puzzle of the benefits of Omega-3 for those suffering from overweight.
Overweight, inflammation, and heart disorders
Obesity and overweight are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disorders, diseases in which inflammation plays a fundamental role. On the other hand, Omega-3s, polyunsaturated fatty acids particularly abundant in fish oil, can exert both a cardioprotective effect and an anti-inflammatory action. Indeed, these nutrients inhibit the production of eicosanoids, molecules whose presence indicates ongoing inflammation.
Omega-3 for a rapid action against inflammation
Danish researchers analyzed the short-term anti-inflammatory effects of low doses of these fatty acids in 50 overweight individuals. Participants were randomly divided into two groups:
- one took daily 2 capsules containing 2 grams of fish oil (about 1.1 grams of marine-derived Omega-3);
- the other took capsules containing 2 grams of olive oil, a food rich in oleic acid.
Scientists collected blood and adipose tissue samples from each participant, both before starting capsule intake and after 1 day, to study the acute effect of dietary supplementation with Omega-3.
To assess the short-term effect of these nutrients, blood and adipose tissue were also collected after 6 weeks of treatment. While no benefits were detected after only 1 day of supplementation, after 6 weeks of Omega-3 supplementation the researchers observed a significant increase in the amount of these fatty acids in adipose tissue as well as in certain immune cells, the granulocytes. Compared to those who took olive oil, patients treated for 6 weeks with Omega-3 also showed increased levels of adiponectin, a hormone whose production decreases in obesity. Conversely, the amount of interleukin-6, a molecule produced by the immune system during the acute phase of inflammatory response, was lower the higher the Omega-3 content in adipose tissue and granulocytes before treatment started.
A mild but significant effect
The study authors clarified that these results do not indicate a global short-term anti-inflammatory effect of fish oil. However, the collected data indicate that taking low doses of Omega-3 for a short period exerts a beneficial action on the health of overweight patients by significantly increasing adiponectin levels. According to researchers, further studies will establish optimal doses of the fatty acids contained in fish oil for overweight individuals.
Source
1. Gammelmark A, Madsen T, Varming K, Lundbye-Christensen S, Schmidt EB, “Low-dose fish oil supplementation increases serum adiponectin without affecting inflammatory markers in overweight subjects”, Nutr Res. 2012 Jan;32(1):15-23
