Is this food the key to faster fat loss?

If you enjoy sardines on toast or a dinner of oily fish, keep tucking in - they'll help to keep your weight down and maintain good health, a new study reveals.

Fatty acids found in fish are known to slow ageing in the human brain but new research by an Australian team of scientists has now shown that overweight people can also benefit from fish oils, as long as they do a little exercise.

Daily doses of oil containing Omega-3 fatty acids, combined with moderate exercise like walking for three quarters of an hour, can result in significant weight loss, the researchers have found.

But taking the oils without exercise, or exercising without taking oils, does not result in any weight loss, the team from the University of South Australia has found.

In simple terms, fish oil increases the elasticity of blood vessel walls and improves the flow of blood to muscles during exercises.

"When we divided up a number of people in our research programme, we found that those taking fish oil combined with exercise lost significantly more fat mass than any other group in the study," said research leader, Professor Peter Howe.

Sixty eight overweight-to-obese adults took part in the 12-week trial. They were divided into four - a group taking fish oil and exercise, another taking just fish oil, a third group taking sunflower oil without exercise and a fourth being asked to combine sunflower oil and exercise.

The clear winners in the study were those in the group who were given small daily doses of fish oil and who walked or ran for 45 minutes three times a week. They lost an average of 4.5 pounds over the three months.

The group which took the sunflower oil, which does not contain omega-3 fatty acids, but who exercised, did not lose any weight. The two groups which did no exercise including those on fish oil - also lost no weight.

Source: Reuters

Andrew's Note: This is another in a long list of studies showing the incredible benefits of the long-chain omega-3s in fish oil.

This nutrition powerhouse is linked with everything from a reduced risk of heart disease to improved mental function and faster fat loss. Although foods such as flax and walnuts contain the short-chain omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, this is not the same as the long-chain omega-3s found in fish oil, and it has not been proven to deliver the same results.

To increase your intake of omega-3s, eat more deep-colored cold-water fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines.

On days you don't eat any cold-water fish (or if you don't eat fish at all), use a fish oil supplement. Look for one that's tested to be free of PCBs, dioxins and mercury and fortified with vitamin E to prevent oxidative damage to these sensitive fatty acids.

Most cheap fish oil products in your local health food shop contain only 30% omega-3s. For real results, you need to use a high-strength product with a 50% omega-3 concentration.