Fish Oil Improves Metabolic Syndrome

[RonnyT Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RonnyT]

Healthy Fats Improve Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels in Metabolic Syndrome, Study Finds

A diet rich in omega-3 fish oil or healthy monounsaturated fats found in oils such as olive and canola may be beneficial for people with metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors known to increase risk for heart attack and diabetes. Features of metabolic syndrome include high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high cholesterol levels, and abdominal fat. The new findings appear in the September issue of the Journal of Nutrition.In the study, 117 people with metabolic syndrome were placed on one of four special diets for 12 weeks:

* A diet high in saturated fat
* A diet high in monounsaturated fat
* A diet low in fat and high in complex carbs such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables
* A low-fat diet high in complex carbs that was supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids

All of the diets contained similar amounts of calories.

Participants’ blood was tested before and after a meal at the beginning and the end of the study. All the participants showed similar levels of blood cholesterol and blood fats called triglycerides before the study began. After the 12-week study period, however, people who ate diets rich in monounsaturated fat or low-fat, high complex carbs and omega-3 fatty acids had lower triglycerides than their counterparts who were placed on the other two diets.

Study participants whose diets were low in fat and high in complex carbs, a diet sometimes used for weight loss, displayed spikes in cholesterol and triglycerides after their meal. The addition of omega-3 fatty acids, such as found in fish oil, however, seemed to mitigate these effects, the study showed. Fish oil has been shown to reduce triglycerides and improve other cardiovascular risk factors.

Now, the researchers write, “it would be interesting to extend out studies beyond 12 weeks to confirm the longer-term effects of dietary fat interventions on cardiovascular risk factors in metabolic syndrome.”

[timguinness Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timguinness]

Good read. I've been taking fish oil ever since I moved from Seattle. (Fresh salmon made up about 40% of my protein intake while I lived there, so I didn't really need a supplement.) IMO it is indispensable. There are several newer studies that suggest it's also highly beneficial for a myriad of other bodily functions, including the brain. I also take krill oil to help round out my omega 6.

[orangetoes Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close orangetoes]

I agree that there are lot benefits we can get from fish oils. It can help our body to produce the chemicals that reduce inflammation. Some studies suggest that omega 3s can help to relieve stiff and swollen hips caused by rheumatoid arthritis and possibly an osteoarthritis.

[Derek450 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Derek450]

Good to know! Iv heard complaints about stiff and swollen hips.. I geuss ill have to get the girlfriend on a fish oil supplement lol

[RonnyT Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RonnyT]

Fish Oil and C-Reactive Protein


It’s been known for a long time that supplementing with Fish Oil can be a good thing for inflammation, cholesterol and weight control. I decided to do some digging around about this basic nutrient (Omega-3 fatty acids) and what makes it so special. I stumbled upon an article talking about C-Reactive Protein and a handful of different dietary supplements.

Fish Oil is high in Omega-3 fatty acids. To be specific, it contains EPA(eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA(docosahexaenoic acid), which are essential to our diet because our bodies cannot synthesize these particular fatty acids. Why are Omega-3 fatty acids so important? They are involved in several processes including the formation of nerves, and help activate the fat burning process in our livers due to their ability to stimulate the PPAR-alpha receptor. In addition to these effects, Omega-3s are an important family of fatty acids that help balance the other omega fatty acids, Omega-6 and Omega-9. The typical western diet is usually very out of balance in this regard, notably Omega-6 fatty acids tend to be off the charts, while Omega-3s don’t seem to be consumed much at all. The only really good source of these fatty acids is found in fish, and the second best source is found in Flax seed and a few other vegetarian sources.

C-Reactive protein is a marker for inflammation. In other words, when inflammation is sensed due to release of certain factors by macrophages or adip0se (fat) tissue, C-Reactive Protein is released by the liver where it binds to phosphocholine which is expressed on the surface of a dying or dead cell. So essentially what I’d like for you to take away from this is that C-Reactive Protein is not an inflammation causing substance. It is a messenger, a marker released by the body when inflammation has occurred. So in essence we want to reduce C-Reactive Protein, not because it causes inflammation, but because we want to effectively limit the inflammation that is signalling the release of C-Reactive Protein. To put it another way; If we reduce inflammation, we will know we have done so because levels of C-Reactive Protein will go down.

In a recent study evaluating quite a few different dietary supplements and their effects on inflammation (measured by levels of, you guessed it, C-Reactive Protein), we clearly have a few big winners and we also have a handful of duds. Interestingly enough, Glucosamine and Chondroitin were very effective at reducing C-Reactive Protein, and Fish oil followed shortly behind. Glucosamine prevents inflammation induced by gluten and lectins, you will see here further evidence that Glucosamine might just be a very effective supplement at reducing inflammation in general.

So Glucosamine, Chondroitin and Fish Oil were the stars here, all three having a strong impact on CRP. Methylsulfonylmethane(aka MSM), garlic, ginkgo biloba, saw palmetto, and pycnogenol all failed to deliver a significant decrease in CRP. That’s not to say those particular supplements wouldn’t be useful for other purposes, it’s just that they don’t seem to shine quite like the three big guns in the war on inflammation.