Eat fish to stay slim!

Interesting study about further benefits of Omega3, from news.com.au.

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Fishy answer to weight loss
By Tamara McLean
July 27, 2006

SWALLOWING fish oil as part of an exercise regime helps shed kilograms faster, new research shows.

An Adelaide study has found that overweight people on a modest exercise plan lose more weight if they also take daily doses of tuna oil rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.
The polyunsaturated fats, found in oily fish and some grains, nuts and vegetables, have cardiovascular benefits but little is known about their contribution to weight loss.

The University of South Australia study involved overweight or obese people with cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Participants did not alter their diet but took regular doses of either tuna fish oil or sunflower oil, which does not contain Omega 3.

After three months of light exercise - a 45-minute walk or run three times a week - those consuming fish oil had lost an average of 2kg.

Those who took sunflower oil, as well as other groups who took either oil without exercising, lost no weight at all.

"We were very surprised to see it was so effective, especially since these people were still eating whatever they wanted," said researcher Alison Hill.

"It's pretty exciting because this implies the results would be even better if you did control diet and exercised more heavily."

Scientists are still unsure exactly how Omega 3 works but they believe it may improve a person's ability to burn fat.

"We suspect that they improve blood flow to exercising muscles and stimulate key enzymes to transport fat that needs to be used as fuel," Ms Hill said.

"In overweight people this ability is almost always impaired."

Ms Hill presented her findings at the Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) in Cairns.