Omega-3 Linked to Lower Body Weight
Lee Swanson Research Update
Study findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition indicate that overweight and obese people have blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids almost one percent lower than people with a healthy weight.
“Our findings suggest that omega-3 PUFAs may play an important role in weight status and abdominal adiposity,” wrote the researchers, led by Professor Monohar Garg of the University of Newcastle and president-elect of the Nutrition Society of Australia.
Previous studies have implicated omega-3 in protective benefits against obesity, and the recent study adds to this small but growing body of evidence. A considerable number of studies already support the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for cardiovascular health and cognitive health. Other areas of potential for the fatty acids include mood and behavior, eye health, cancer risk reduction and improved infant development.
The researchers recruited 124 people of varying weights: 21 were classified as having a healthy weight according to their body mass index (BMI), 40 were classified as overweight and 63 were obese. The researchers note that people who consumed omega-3 supplements were excluded from their study.
Blood samples were taken after the subjects fasted for at least 10 hours. Professor Garg and his co-workers recorded an inverse relationship between total omega-3 blood levels, as well as blood levels of DHA and EPA, with BMI, the subjects’ waist sizes and their hip circumference.
Indeed, obese people had omega-3 levels of 4.53 percent, compared to 5.25 percent in their healthy-weight peers. When the researchers organized the participants according to their omega-3 levels, and not by their weight, they again observed that increased omega-3 levels were associated with a healthier BMI, a smaller waist and a lower hip size.
“[Other] studies, along with our observations, suggest that omega-3 PUFA supplementation may play an important role in preventing weight gain and improving weight loss when omega-3 PUFA are supplemented concomitantly with a structured weight-loss program,” wrote the researchers.
British Journal of Nutrition 102(9):1370-1374, 2009
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