Could fish oil help you burn fat faster?

How fish oil helps burn fat

Kyoto University researchers have found that fish oil transforms fat-storage cells into fat-burning cells, which may reduce weight gain in middle age.

The team explains that fish oil activates receptors in the digestive tract, fires the sympathetic nervous system, and induces storage cells to metabolise fat.

White, brown and beige fat cells

Fat tissues don't all store fat. So-called "white" cells store fat in order to maintain energy supply, while "brown" cells metabolise fat to maintain a stable body temperature. Brown cells are abundant in babies but decrease in number with maturity into adulthood. Beige cells, recently been found in humans and mice, function much like brown cells and also reduce in number as people approach middle age.

Putting fish oil to the test

Kyoto University researchers have found that fish oil transforms fat-storage cells into fat-burning cells

The scientists investigated whether the number of these beige cells could be increased by taking in certain types of foods.

"We knew from previous research that fish oil has tremendous health benefits, including the prevention of fat accumulation," says senior author Teruo Kawada. "We tested whether fish oil and an increase in beige cells could be related."

The team fed a group of mice fatty food, and other groups fatty food with fish oil additives. The mice that ate food with fish oil, they found, gained five to 10% less weight and 15-25% less fat compared to those that did not consume the oil.

They also found that beige cells formed from white fat cells when the sympathetic nervous system was activated, meaning that certain fat-storage cells acquired the ability to metabolise.

The secret to Japanese and Mediterranean diets

"People have long said that food from Japan and the Mediterranean contribute to longevity, but why these cuisines are beneficial was up for debate," adds Kawada. "Now we have better insight into why that may be."

1. Prev:Steer clear of distracted dining
2. Next:How to reach your 2016 weight-loss goals