Nutrition Tip of the Week no. 3

From now on, I will be posting one of these tips each week, courtesy of Dr John Berardi, the brains (and brawn) behind Precision Nutrition. Enjoy, and click on the link below for more info on PN.

Tip #3
Fish Oil Rules
by Dr. John Berardi

I consider fish oil to be an essential supplement for fat loss. Data from the University of Western Ontario shows that fish oil supplementation increases lean body mass (during non-dieting conditions), increases BMR (by up to 400kcal/day), decreases inflammation, and improves the ratio of fat/carb oxidized (sparing carbs, burning fat). Recommended dose: Start with 6-10g per day of total fish oil (assuming 30% EPA and DHA).

SEE ALSO:
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Definitions:
BMR is Basal Metabolic Rate. It is the amount of energy your body needs when at rest, just to do internal housekeeping stuff, like keeping your cells healthy, your heart beating, and so on. Fish oil can increase your BMR, so even without exercise you would be burning more calories (energy) every day.

DHA and EPA are omega-3 essential fatty acids. They play an important role in brain and heart health, and are often in the news these days. They’re called essential because although our bodies need them for optimal health, we can’t make them ourselves, so we need to get them in our diets. Good sources of omega-3 are cold-water oily fish, like salmon, and to a lesser extent, some plant sources such as flax (linseeds). Most of us don’t get nearly enough omega-3 essential fatty acids and supplements are readily available.

For metabolism-boosting purposes research shows that a minimum of 6g a day are needed. It is not hard to find Omega-3 capsules containing 1000mg (1g) of omega-3, of which 300mg are DHA+EPA, ie. 30% as recommended in the tip. Aim for at least six of these a day.

Look out for another nutrition tip next week.