If I could choose only one supplement for most people it would be fish oil. Regardless of your nutrition or fitness goals, there are too many research-proven benefits to ignore this supplement. Commercial fish may be contaminated with environmental toxins in varying amounts, so it is recommended that consumption be limited to only a few meals per week (who eats fish every day anyway?). Supplementing your diet with fish oil in capsule or liquid form is a great way to make sure you are receiving adequate amounts of the omega-3 fatty acids that the body cannot produce on its own: EPA and DHA
The Importance of Omega-3 Fats
“Healthy fats” include the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as the monounsaturated fats (all unsaturated fats). They are named “healthy fats” because of their beneficial effects on blood triglycerides and cholesterols, blood vessels, inflammation, and metabolism.
The major omega-3 fats include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Plant sources such as flax and walnuts are rich in ALA and fatty fish and fish oil supplements are rich in EPA and DHA (the most beneficial omega-3 fats). EPA and DHA need to be obtained through diet as they cannot be produced by the body.
One reason omega-3 fats are so important is that they help make up our cellular membranes and help keep our cells more “fluid.” This provides several benefits. When membranes are relatively fluid, messages from neurochemicals and can be transmitted more easily. When cell membranes are more fluid it also increases insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivty refers to your body’s ability to process sugar. Someone with poor insulin sensitivity requires larger amounts of insulin from the pancreas to lower blood glucose. Research also shows that low DHA consumption is associated with memory loss, difficulty concentrating, Alzheimer’s disease, and other mood problems (1,5).
Omega-3 fats also contribute to the formation of certain eicosanoids. The eicosanoids liberated from omega-3 fats promote things like blood vessel dilation, anti-inflammatory effects, anti-coagulant effects, a decrease in pain, airway dilation, etc. (1).
Western Diet and the Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio
Humans evolved to consume diets consisting of marine life, large animals, and inland plants, which provided abundant omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This resulted in an omega-6/omega-3 ratio that was around 1:1. In the modern Western Diet, this ratio is closer to 16:1 to 20:1 in favor of the omega-6 fats (1). This is completely out of balance for optimal cellular health and integrity. This imbalance is a result of a high intake of omega-6 fatty acids from corn oil, safflower oil, and meat from grain-fed animals. To achieve a healthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, one must actively use less omega-6 rich vegetable oils and consume more omega-3 rich foods.
Research-Proven Benefits of Fish Oil
Fortunately, the research on fish oil and omega-3 fatty acid supplemention is well-documented. The following benefits are associated with consuming a fish oil supplement:
• Decrease risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers (1)
• Increase metabolic rate (2)
• Help reduce fat mass and increase lean mass (1)
• Reduce inflammation in the body (1)
• Reduce pain associated with inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, chronic fatigue, etc. (1)
• Improve mood while decreasing symptoms of depression (1)
• Improve memory and cognitive performance (3-5)
• Improve glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity (6-8)
• Improve recovery from exercise (9-12)
Recommendations
Looking at the information above, it is clear that you can’t go wrong with a high quality fish oil supplement. A typical fish oil capsule might contain 1000 mg of fish oil, but we are really looking for the EPA and DHA content within that 1000 mg. This can vary from brand to brand from about 300 up to 800 combined mg of EPA and DHA per pill. The higher the concentration of EPA and DHA, the less capsules you would have to take per day. A generally recommended dose is 2-3 grams of combined EPA and DHA per day. For those who don’t want to deal with swallowing multiple pills, a liquid form is a great alternative. For a few recommended brands please click HERE
References
1. Berardi, J., & Andrews, R. (2013). The Essentials of Sport and Exercise Nutrition (2nd ed., pp. 155-157). Precision Nutrition.
2. Noreen, E., Sass, M., Crowe, M., Pabon, V., Brandauer, J., & Averill, L. (2010). Effects of supplemental fish oil on resting metabolic rate, body composition, and salivary cortisol in healthy adults. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 7(31)
3. Narendran, R., Frankle, W., Mason, N., Muldoon, M., Moghaddam, B., & Foll, B. (2012). Improved Working Memory but No Effect on Striatal Vesicular Monoamine Transporter Type 2 after Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation. PLoS ONE, E46832-E46832.
4. Muldoon, M., Ryan, C., Sheu, L., Yao, J., Conklin, S., & Manuck, S. (2010). Serum Phospholipid Docosahexaenonic Acid Is Associated with Cognitive Functioning during Middle Adulthood. Journal of Nutrition, 140(4), 848-853.
5. Chiu, C., Su, K., Cheng, T., Liu, H., Chang, C., Dewey, M., … Huang, S. (2008). The effects of omega-3 fatty acids monotherapy in Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment: A preliminary randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 32(6), 1538-1544.
6. Smith BK, Holloway GP, Reza-Lopez S, Jeram SM, Kang JX, Ma DW. A decreased n-6/n-3 ratio in the fat-1 mouse is associated with improved glucose tolerance. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2010 Oct; 35(5): 699-706
7. Rossi AS, Lombardo YB, Lacorte JM, Chicco AG, Rousault C, Slama G, Rizkalla SW. Dietary fish oil positively regulates plasma leptin and adiponection levels in sucrose-fed, insulin-resistant rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2005 Aug; 289(2): R486-R494
8. Huang T, Wahlqvist ML, Xu T, Xu A, Zhang A, Li D. Inceased plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid is associated with improved insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes in China. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010 May; 54 Suppl 1: S112-9
9. Tartibian B, Maleki BH, Abbasi A. The effects of ingestion of omega-3 fatty acids on perceived pain and external symptoms of delayed on set muscle soreness in untrained men. Clin J Sport Med. 2009 Mar;19(2): 115-9
10. Bloomer RJ, Larson DE, Fisher-Wellman KH, Galpin AJ, Schilling BK. Effect of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid on resting and exercise-induced inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers: a randomized, placebo controlled, cross-over study. Lipids Health Dis. 2009 Aug 19; 8:36.
11. Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Belury MA, Andridge R, Malarkey WB, Glaser R. Omega-3 supplementation lowers inflammation and anxiety in medical students: a randomized controlled trial. Brain Behav Immun. 2011 Nov;25(8): 1725-34.
12. Yusof HM, Miles EA, Calder P. Influence of very long-chain n-3 fatty acids on plasma markers of inflammation in middle-aged men. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2008 Mar;78(3): 219-28.