Learn whether weight loss is one of the benefits gained by eating more omega-3s.
Veterans of the weight-loss wars are likely familiar with omega-3 fatty acids as the “healthy fats” touted in some popular diets as being both beneficial to overall health — particularly heart health — and a boon for weight loss.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Weight-Loss Plans
Here’s how popular diet plans stack up in terms of the amount of omega-3 they suggest:
Studies have shown that diet success depends more on calorie reduction than the specific plan you follow, so naturally if your goal is weight loss, you might be wondering whether the amount of omega-3 foods in your diet makes a difference.
According to researcher Mario Kratz, PhD, assistant member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and research assistant professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, the answer is that, despite their other health benefits, omega-3 fatty acids do not have a direct effect on weight loss.
Many studies have shown that people can lose weight on diets with an emphasis on omega-3, says Kratz, but when his team conducted a trial comparing the weight loss of two groups of overweight people who ate exactly the same foods with the exception of the types of fats used to prepare the foods (omega-3s vs. saturated fats), they found no difference in weight loss between the two.
“Omega-3s may help with other health consequences of being obese, such as heart disease, but in terms of these fats specifically helping you to lose weight, I’d say if there is any effect it’s probably minimal and it doesn’t play a clinical role,” says Kratz.
Why You Should Include Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Your Diet
Research into the weight-loss benefit of these healthy fats is still ongoing, the current theory being that these fats:
All of this means that if you include some fat in your diet, choosing omega-3 fatty acids is better for weight management than foods containing saturated fats. On a practical level, this means your weight-loss goals could benefit from choosing salmon for dinner over beef or from preparing foods with canola oil instead of butter.
More Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Even if increasing omega-3 foods won’t accelerate weight loss, there are many health benefits to including them in your diet:
Building a Weight Loss Diet with Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The changes you will make to increase omega-3 fatty acids in your diet should complement your weight-loss plan. Consider including more of these foods with omega-3 fatty acids:
Although it would be difficult to eat enough fish to get excess calories from adding omega-3 foods, you certainly could go overboard with nuts and oils, so stick to the minimum you need. Take a supplement to amp up your omega-3 intake without the calorie load. Supplements offer the same health benefits without the added calories.
Even if omega-3 fatty acids do not cause weight loss, there are many health benefits to including them in your diet — and better health is at the core of why you want to lose weight.
