Insulin Sensitivity Reduced With the Use of Omega 3's - Fish Oil...

Omega 3 oils may have a role to play in weight management for people with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a complex of conditions that includes high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance. These individuals have a very difficult time losing weight.

Even though the weight loss equation remains the same for all of us (calories in < calories out=weight loss, calories in >calories out=weight gain), differences in metabolism catalyze that equation. Some people burn more of the calories they consume, and some people can eat the same number of calories and do the same activities, and burn fewer calories. People with metabolic syndrome fall into the latter category.

Metabolic syndrome involves abnormalities in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. Omega 3 oils may improve metabolism of both nutrients, which means that omega 3 weight metabolism management may help those with metabolic syndrome.

Omega 3 oils improve insulin resistance by making cell walls more flexible and permeable to insulin. This improves carbohydrate metabolism. Omega 3 oils also lower total blood cholesterol, dangerous LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. They raise helpful HDL levels.

Because omega 3 oils help with carbohydrate and fat metabolism, they may make it easier for those with metabolic syndrome to lose weight. When the cells burn nutrients more efficiently, less fat is stored, and it is easier to lose weight. With omega 3 weight metabolism management, people with metabolic syndrome could have a metabolic profile similar to “normal” people.
Diet and exercise are still needed for these individuals to lose weight, but the addition of omega 3 supplements makes traditional techniques more effective. Instead of needing a very low calorie diet and increased exercise to lose weight, they may be able to eat a more sustainable low calorie diet. In addition, instead of losing ½ pound per week, the individual may be able to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

Not only does omega 3 weight metabolism management make it easier for people with metabolic syndrome to lose weight, but it is an encouragement to them, too. It is very discouraging to work hard at weight loss and have disappointing results, which is why people with metabolic syndrome tend to be noncompliant with weight loss. Omega 3 supplements could make a striking difference for these people.


Influence of Dietary Fat on Insulin Resistance...

Women's Nutrition Research Program, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA. lovejoj@pbrc.edu

Dietary fat has been implicated in the development of insulin resistance in both animals and humans. Most, although not all, studies suggest that higher levels of total fat in the diet result in greater whole-body insulin resistance. Although, in practice, obesity may complicate the relationship between fat intake and insulin resistance, clinical trials demonstrate that high levels of dietary fat can impair insulin sensitivity independent of body weight changes. In addition, it appears that different types of fat have different effects on insulin action.

Saturated and certain monounsaturated fats have been implicated in causing insulin resistance, whereas polyunsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids largely do not appear to have adverse effects on insulin action. Given the importance of insulin resistance in the development of diabetes and heart disease, establishing appropriate levels of fat in the diet is an important clinical goal.


Omega 3 Study Shows Fish Oil Good for Muscle Mass and Insulin Resistance Sensitivity...

[COLOR=black]Omega-3 study shows fish oil good for muscle mass, insulin sensitivity[/COLOR]...

Published May 9th, 2007 in [COLOR=#cc0000]Aging[/COLOR], [COLOR=#cc0000]Anti-aging[/COLOR], [COLOR=#cc0000]General Interest[/COLOR], [COLOR=#cc0000]Health[/COLOR], [COLOR=#cc0000]Health News[/COLOR], [COLOR=#cc0000]Health and Wellness[/COLOR], [COLOR=#cc0000]Medical News[/COLOR], [COLOR=#cc0000]Medicine[/COLOR], [COLOR=#cc0000]Nutrition[/COLOR], [COLOR=#cc0000]Omega-3[/COLOR], [COLOR=#cc0000]Popular[/COLOR]

Quebec City - A research team from Université Laval’s Institute of Nutraceutics and Functional Foods shows that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil have a positive effect on building up muscle and improving insulin sensitivity. This study, led by Carole Thivierge and published in a recent edition of the Journal of Physiology, could have significant implications in the fields of animal farming as well as human health.

In mammals, the ability to use nutrients from food and convert them into muscle proteins decreases with age. Though the exact cause of this decrease in anabolic, muscle-building power is still unclear, insulin resistance of aging muscle cells has been suggested as a possible answer.

Since omega-3 fatty acids are known to improve blood sugar metabolism in people and animals showing insulin resistance, the researchers decided to test whether omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil could also influence protein metabolism.

To do so, they added containing either omega-3’s from fish oil or a mixture of cottonseed and olive oils without omega-3’s to the regular of steers. After five weeks, animals with the marine diet showed increased sensitivity to insulin which, in turn, improved protein metabolism: twice the amount of amino acids was used by their bodies to synthesize proteins, especially in muscles. So it appears that omega-3 fatty acids added to the steers’ diet replaced other fatty acids in muscle cells and improved their functioning.

This finding could have significant implications in the field of animal farming, according to Thivierge, also a professor in Université Laval’s Department of Animal Sciences, who undertook this study in order to find an alternative to hormonal growth stimulation in beef cattle.

At 4 to 6 months of age, calves become less efficient at converting food into muscle mass, which has a negative impact on farming profitability. “Adding fish oil to their diet could prevent this decline by restoring insulin sensitivity in aging animals,” suggests the researcher. “In addition, it could contribute to reducing the amount of by-product emissions in the environment, since animals that are given omega-3’s spontaneously eat 10% less food to achieve the same [lean],” points out Thivierge.

Restoring insulin sensitivity through the use of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil could also prevent the loss of muscle mass in older people and, by the same token, prevent the various health problems associated with it, believes Thivierge. She also suggests that omega-3s could help athletes trying to increase their muscle mass. “However, it should not be seen as a miracle product,” she points out. “For increased muscle protein metabolism to take place in people younger than 50, physical training is still required,” she concludes, and not simply omega-3 fish oil supplementation alone (Courtesy of Eurekalert).


The Power of Omega-3...

In today's diet-conscious culture, many people try to eliminate every kind of fat from their diet. However, omega-3 fatty acids, also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids, are good fats that can improve cardiovascular health, prevent diabetes, improve brain function, and may even help you lose weight.

According to the American Heart Association, omega-3 fatty acids can improve cardiovascular health by decreasing blood pressure, minimizing the hardening of arteries, stabilizing heart rhythm and preventing the development of clots and plaque, thereby decreasing the chance of stroke and heart attack. Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol and increase DHL ("good") cholesterol.

The high blood glucose levels associated with diabetes can damage nerves and blood vessels and lead to increased deposits of fatty materials on the insides of the blood vessel walls, which can lead to complications such as heart disease and stroke.

Omega-3 fatty acids help lower blood sugar and reduce plaques and clotting, helping to prevent heart disease and keep diabetes at a manageable level.

In addition, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), one kind of omega-3 fatty acid, has been found to boost insulin function in people who are obese and at particular risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In one study, 70 percent of patients with insulin resistance who took a daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids showed a marked improvement in insulin sensitivity.

Omega-3 fatty acids may even contribute to weight loss, although additional studies are needed to confirm initial findings. According to several small studies, it appears that omega-3 fatty acids may increase oxidation of fat by activating genes that break down fat and reduce the number of fat cells, especially in the abdominal region. And due to regulated blood sugar levels, omega-3 fatty acids may make you feel fuller longer, helping to curb those snack attacks.

Inflammatory disorders such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBD) may be at least partially relieved from omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center gave patients suffering from chronic pain fish oil supplements for 20 to 30 days and found that nearly two-thirds of the patients no longer needed to take other anti-inflammatory pain medication. At Indiana University, patients taking fish-oil supplements were found to have reduced symptoms of asthma and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

Omega-3 fatty acid's ability to improve brain function has been the focus of a lot of attention. A particular type of brain wave that is linked to memory and learning has been found to transmit significantly faster when supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids. These brain waves typically slow down with age and are slower in people with dementia. But within two hours after taking the supplements, test subjects showed an increased rate of transmission. DHA is also critical to proper visual and neurological development in babies and infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems.

The effects of omega-3 fatty acids on the brain may also contribute to psychological stability. DHA makes up about 25 percent of the body's brain fat and manages the production and flow of serotonin. People battling bi-polar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia have been found to be DHA deficient, although more studies are necessary to determine the connection between psychological health and omega-3 fatty acids. This finding may be particularly helpful for women suffering from postpartum depression and those
going through menopause.

You can get omega-3 fatty acids from the food you eat or in supplemental form. Cold water fish such as salmon, herring, sardines, and lake trout are the best food sources; however, these fish may contain dangerous levels of mercury and other environmental toxins, so experts recommend women who are pregnant or may become pregnant and those who are breastfeeding avoid certain fish, such as king mackerel, swordfish, shark, and tile fish, and limit their consumption of other types of fatty acid-rich fish, such as salmon, catfish, shrimp and canned light tuna, to 12 ounces (2 average meals) per week. Fish oil pills are a safe alternative and provide the health benefits of fish without the risk.

Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, soy, spinach, arugula, and avocados, as well as grass-fed beef. Canola oil and flax seed oil are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, but too much flax seed oil can cause loose stools.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that consumers not consume more than a total of 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day, with no more than 2 grams per day from a dietary supplement. An excessive amount of omega-3 fatty acids can cause excessive bleeding.


TJ