Amazing Omega - By Chris Hall

If someone were to ask me, “I’m only able to take one supplement in my life what would you recommend?” My reply would certainly be... fish oil. Omega 3 fish oil is being discussed across more ‘health’ shows and within the media than ever before, making it one of the most widely talked about supplements today. In fact, a recently published study by Harvard University revealed omega 3 deficiency is the sixth biggest killer of Americans and more deadly than a diet in excess of trans fat intake.

It has also been shown that most diseases can be linked to a deficiency in omega 3, and with today’s rate of disease on the rise and our total daily omega 3 intake declining, it is easy to see why so many people are becoming ill and therefore supplementing their diets with omega 3.

Fish oil is a supplement that I recommend to all clients who are eager to improve upon both health and changes in body composition. Here are just a few possible advantages for supplementing omega 3 into your nutrition.


Eight reasons to take Fish Oil

1. Fish oil turns on the fat burning genes (lipolysis) and turns off the fat storage genes (lipogensis).

2. EPA and DHA insure cell membranes remain healthy. The membranes are flexible and contain a large number of insulin receptors that are more receptive to circulating insulin. This results in decreased fat storage in the fat cells. For people with a high subscapular (fat below the shoulder blade) and supra iliac skinfold (the love handles) these two sites are indicative of raised insulin levels and whether someone is consuming too many carbohydrates for the body to metabolise – fish oil will help to lower these sites.

3. Fish oils are great stress busters and supplementing with Omega 3 inhibits the adrenal release of steroid hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine elicited by mental stress through the effects exerted on the central nervous system – great for anyone carrying a little too much weight around the abdomen.

4. In studies on cholesterol, subjects taking natural stable fish oil had reduced levels of LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad cholesterol’ which is known to be a major risk factor for coronary heart disease), whilst levels of HDL cholesterol (the ‘good cholesterol’) were increased.

5. Fish oils, rich in Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to help prevent depression, stabilise moods of manic-depressives, and help increase one of the brains neurotransmitters, serotonin otherwise known as the ‘happy neurotransmitter’ -in fact research shows just a 40% drop in optimal Omega 3 levels can cause the onset of depression.

6. Several clinical studies have also shown that people who consume large amounts of fish oil can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death by as much as 50%.

7. Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) two fatty acids found in fish oil help prevent the likelihood of heart disease and various forms of cancer (prostate and breast cancer to name a few).

8. A high intake of fish oil has been proven to reduce the onset of cognitive issues such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. The n-3 fatty acid, DHA prevents neurotoxicity of the brain that can lead to an imbalance in dopamine levels (an important brain neurotransmitter) and since Parkinson’s is a disease caused by disruption of the dopamine system, a high intake of DHA could show promise for prevention of this disease.


Choosing good quality Fish Oil

When I refer to ‘good quality’ fish oil I’m not talking about the ones you will find in your local health store. Unfortunately I’ve found the concentration level of these products are so low in omega 3, that you’ll find yourself popping pills all day just to consume a dose that proves to be effective. There’s also plenty of research to back up, that many low cost fish oils contain high amounts of mercury, plastics and PCB’s.
These high levels of toxins can, over time build up in the body and cause metabolic, detoxification and cognitive disorders all of which can be detrimental to your health and your training.

I advise clients to invest a little more money in a good quality product. I recommend they go for fish oil liquid as opposed to pills. The concentration in liquid form is much higher than most pills, meaning it’ll be easier to consume your total daily omega 3 intake and it also works out to be much more cost effective.


One brand that I do recommend is the Myprotein Omega 3 Liquid, which is extremely useful when needing to get a higher dose of fish oil in throughout the day, with a total of 1,375mg per 5ml. I also recommend the Myprotein Super Omega 3, as capsules are brilliant for those who are out and about and on the move.
You’ll also notice different products will have varying amounts of EPA to DHA. Simply put, those suffering from cognitive issues, have a history of Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease within the family, finding it hard to concentrate, or poor memory retention, would benefit from a higher DHA to EPA concentration. For everyone else, a higher concentration of EPA to DHA would be adequate.


Dosing your Fish Oil supplement

Dosing your fish oil supplement is an easy and simple task, depending on the goal you’re trying to achieve. If fat loss is your main concern and you want to lose those ‘love handles’ I tend to go on a gram of fish oil per % of body fat. i.e for someone who’s at 12% body fat I would recommend a dose of 12 grams of fish oil a day.

For those of you who are unsure of your body fat % feel free to ask a qualified personal trainer and they will be able to calculate your body fat % for you. For those of you who don’t have access to a trainer or do not wish to know their body fat % I find a dose of anywhere between 15-20 grams for males and 25-30 grams for females per day, to be effective.
If you’re someone who has inflammation or pain in the joints I recommend a dose of between 5-10 grams of fish oils per day taken alongside 1,500mgs of glucosamine. Studies have shown these two products work synergistically at relieving joint pain and inflammation.
For improving brain function, such as poor memory, inability to concentrate, etc. I would recommend a higher concentration of DHA from your fish oil with a recommended dose of about 3,600mgs per day.


Take home points

Omega 3 works best when cycled in and out of our diets. It’s best taken for 4 months on a high dose then cut down to a dose of 3-5 grams per day for 4 months before returning to a higher dose for 4 months again.

I also like to add in Myprotein’s product, Acetyl L Carnitine (ALC) for some people. I find for those who eat very little red meat they’re normally a little low on carnitine. This can prove to be a problem, as carnitine is needed to help synthesise fish oil into the fat cell for it to have any effect on fat loss. 1 gram of ALC should be taken for every 10 grams of fish oil to have any worthwhile effect.

A 40% drop in Omega 3 levels results in the onset of depression. England and Ireland are two countries that have the lowest levels of Omega 3, but the highest levels of depression.

Your brain is about 60% fat by weight. DHA is one of the most important fats in a developing brain. This is probably the reason fish is known as ‘brain food. It’s important to store your fish oil in the fridge once opened, to avoid it going rancid. If you have access to a fridge at work I strongly recommend keeping a bottle in it.

I truly believe that it's the full benefits of Omega 3 are yet to be discovered, but already it’s definitely the supplement for anyone interested in improving their health and positively altering their body composition.




References

Effect of glucosamine sulphate with or without omega-3 fatty acids in patients with osteoarthritis, 2009 Sep;26(9):858-71. Epub 2009 Sep 4.
The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors, Public Library of Science Medicine Journal Vol6, April 2009
Beneficial effects of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid on toxin-induced neuronal degeneration in an animal model of Parkinson’s disease, (The FASEB Journal) 2008
The Health Effects of Natural Stable Fish Oil, Katherine Toye Fishing For Supplements -Thirteen Reasons to use fish oils to get lean, Charles Poliquin,
Top 10 Reasons EFA’s are Essential, Charles Poliquin, www.charlespoliquin.com/guru/10-reasons.php
Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon (New Trends Publishing) 2001
PICP 3 Nutrition Manual, Jonny Bowden, (Poliquin Performance Centre) 2010.
Possible Beneficial Effects of Fish and fish n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast and colorectal cancer, (European Journal of Cancer Prevention) 1999


Chris hall is an accomplished personal trainer and nutrition expert with a firm belief on training built on science. His qualifications include: PICP (Poliquins International Certification Program ) level 3, PICP level 2, PICP level 1, BioSignature Modulation level 1+2, PIMST (Poliquins Instant Muscle Strengthening Techniques), Optimal Life's Olympic Lifting Course, Nutri Health Seminars - Female Health and Hormones - Stop Chronic Disease Now, Fat Loss Strategies Course, Premier's Diploma in Nutrition, Premier's Diploma in Personal Training, Premier's Diploma in Sports Massage.http://chall-train-smart.blogspot.com