Research showing the effects of fish oil on body composition

[SociallyChallenged]

Hey guys,

Here's an interesting article looking into the effects of fish oil (containing EPA/DHA) on body mass, body composition, RMR, and cortisol levels. It's pretty interesting. The subjects, who ingest ~2400mg of EPA/DHA total, show an increase in LBM and decrease in fat mass, but no change in overall weight. Beside the other benefits of fish oil (decreased chronic inflammation, improved lipid panels, improved performance on cognitive tests), I felt this one applied best to those trying to improve their health and their body composition.

Link - http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/31

 

[the DRIZZLE]

nm

 

[SociallyChallenged]

nm

Lol, already read what you said. That was just a tendency. It wasn't a statistically significant decrease.

 

[brikis98]

Is there something in particular about fish oil that makes it healthy, or does the typical diet just seriously lack omega 3?

 

[KoolDrew]

While I'm all for fish oil and people getting more EPA/DHA in their diet, I question the reliability of the results. Given that there were no significant differences in total bodyweight, respiratory exchange ratio, or resting metabolic rate, the implications of this trial depend completely on the reliability of ADP as a body composition measurement method.

Take a look at this.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of race and musculoskeletal development on the accuracy of estimates of body fatness (%fat) via air displacement plethysmography (AP).

METHODS: Estimates of %fat were made via AP, hydrostatic weighing (HW), dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and the criterion, a four-component model (4C) in 64 black (B) and white (W) men, who were either resistance trained (RT) or served as controls (C).

RESULTS: Based on a three-way ANOVA, there were no statistically significant three-way or race x musculoskeletal development interactions. There was no main effect of race on the validity of estimating %fat by AP; the mean bias between %FatAP and %Fat4C was similar for B (3.6% body fat) and W (3.7%). In addition, the density of the fat-free mass (Dffm) for B (1.098 +/- 0.002 g x mL) was not different than 1.10 g x mL. There was a significant effect of musculoskeletal development on the validity of the estimation of %fat from AP; the mean difference in %fat between %FatAP and %Fat4C was less in RT (1.5% body fat) than in C (5.3%), but a large SEE of 5.5% was observed for RT. A significant (P < 0.05) correlation was found between the mean bias between methods and body volume (-0.44) and mesomorphy (-0.55).

CONCLUSIONS: Race does not affect the accuracy of estimating %fat by AP. Race-specific equations estimating %fat via densitometry (e.g., AP, HW) such as the Schutte are not justified, because Dffm is not greater than 1.10 g x mL. Estimation of %fat via AP is more accurate in larger individuals with high musculoskeletal development as a group, but individual results are highly variable.

 

[shortylickens]

Is there something in particular about fish oil that makes it healthy, or does the typical diet just seriously lack omega 3?

The general consensus is most people dont get enough healthy fat. Its too easy to get crap in your diet, or starve yourself of the healthy things.
All fruits & vegetables is NOT good for the human body.

 

[MrMatt]

I'm wondering if I already eat a ton of flax, walnuts, & EVOO if fish oil would really help. I used to take it, wasn't sure I saw any difference. *sigh*

 

[rcpratt]

I've been meaning to get some of this for awhile now, so this is as good of an excuse as any.

Anyone have a preferred brand or place they buy online?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I'm wondering if I already eat a ton of flax, walnuts, & EVOO if fish oil would really help. I used to take it, wasn't sure I saw any difference. *sigh*

Omega 3 fatty acids from plant sources are ALA. ALA must be converted to EPA/DHA in the human body. The problem with this is humans are terribly inefficient in converting ALA into something useful for ourselves. Flax and walnuts contain ALA and don't really do much to promote good health (on the omega-3 front). EVOO is just a MUFA source and doesn't really have any relation to the study. I would bet fish oil would be a good investment for your health.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

While I'm all for fish oil and people getting more EPA/DHA in their diet, I question the reliability of the results. Given that there were no significant differences in total bodyweight, respiratory exchange ratio, or resting metabolic rate, the implications of this trial depend completely on the reliability of ADP as a body composition measurement method.

Take a look at this.

Even if the accuracy was off, the precision showed to be great. They took two measurements within 0.05&#37; body fat within one another. This means that, even if the values were not accurate, they were precise. If they used the same conditions and facilities, the precision would still allow trends to be shown. If you have precise equipment that is not as accurate as you'd like it to be, you can still show significant differences because the values will still be modified in proper proportions. And, in reality, almost no body fat measurement is exact (besides DXA). There is always an error of some sort. The AP is more accurate than most other methods used in research studies.

On top of this, did you get access to that article? Basing opinions of articles on their summaries is a terrible habit to get into. We don't know their methods, how their interpreted it, the level of statistical significance they utilized. We need a full article to interpret the conclusions and confirm whether or not the methods/results were correct.

EDIT: I got access to the article and hydrostatic weighing, the previous gold standard, was even shown to be off compared to DXA scan. AP tended to run slightly low, while hydrostatic weighing tended to run slightly high. Like I said before, even if they're off, but they are off in the same way on every trial each time, trends shown are still valid.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Is there something in particular about fish oil that makes it healthy, or does the typical diet just seriously lack omega 3?

EPA/DHA have some interesting affects on the body. Who knows if there's something else in the oil that also contributes to health promotion. But yeah, the typical diet is severely deficient in omega-3's. Anybody who doesn't eat fish, especially oily fish, on a regular basis is likely on the low-end of intake.

 

[KoolDrew]

Even if the accuracy was off, the precision showed to be great. They took two measurements within 0.05% body fat within one another. This means that, even if the values were not accurate, they were precise. If they used the same conditions and facilities, the precision would still allow trends to be shown. If you have precise equipment that is not as accurate as you'd like it to be, you can still show significant differences because the values will still be modified in proper proportions. And, in reality, almost no body fat measurement is exact (besides DXA). There is always an error of some sort. The AP is more accurate than most other methods used in research studies.

On top of this, did you get access to that article? Basing opinions of articles on their summaries is a terrible habit to get into. We don't know their methods, how their interpreted it, the level of statistical significance they utilized. We need a full article to interpret the conclusions and confirm whether or not the methods/results were correct.

EDIT: I got access to the article and hydrostatic weighing, the previous gold standard, was even shown to be off compared to DXA scan. AP tended to run slightly low, while hydrostatic weighing tended to run slightly high. Like I said before, even if they're off, but they are off in the same way on every trial each time, trends shown are still valid.

Take a look at this as James Krieger did a good job with this series evaluating various measurement methods:
http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=175

I don't have access to the studies mentioned at the moment, but if you do I would suggest taking a look at them. In the studies mentioned it was shown even things like facial hair, moisture, body temperature, and how tight the swimsuit was effected results. Not only that, but it doesn't look like it's that great at detecting trends over time either.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

EPA/DHA have some interesting affects on the body. Who knows if there's something else in the oil that also contributes to health promotion. But yeah, the typical diet is severely deficient in omega-3's. Anybody who doesn't eat fish, especially oily fish, on a regular basis is likely on the low-end of intake.

Only problem is heavy metal issue with fish.

I love salmon and other fish like that though. I'd eat it with lunch/dinner everyday if it weren't for the potential for heavy metal poisoning.

 

[spamsk8r]

As a long time fish oil user, I can offer my n=1 observations. If I go off the fish oil for a week or more I start getting really bad arthritis-like pain in the joints of my hands (I'm a 27-year old computer programmer) and painful inflammation in my knee and hip joints. A few days after resuming supplementation these symptoms go away, and my flexibility seems to be increased when I'm on it. This is in addition to eating mostly grass-fed beef and minimizing/reducing grains and legumes, both of which tend to aggravate the inflammation problems (well, rice doesn't as far as I can tell, but wheat definitely does).

 

[spamsk8r]

Only problem is heavy metal issue with fish.

I love salmon and other fish like that though. I'd eat it with lunch/dinner everyday if it weren't for the potential for heavy metal poisoning.

Try eating some fish lower on the food chain (sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovies) as the potential for heavy-metal toxicity is much reduced due to lack of bioaccumulation. A can of sardines a day can be a great (and tasty) substitute for the pills, depending on body size, diet, and degree of inflammation.

 

[Woosta]

I don't give a shit about its health benefits, fish are damn tasty. I fucking love sardines drenched in olive oil. There are certain brands of sardines that are tasteless as shit though, gotta find a good brand.

I fucking love them. I can eat em all day long.

 

[spamsk8r]

I don't give a shit about its health benefits, fish are damn tasty. I fucking love sardines drenched in olive oil. There are certain brands of sardines that are tasteless as shit though, gotta find a good brand.

I fucking love them. I can eat em all day long.

Kippered herring is my favorite. Smoky, fishy, full of goodness. Crown Prince brand are really good.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Only problem is heavy metal issue with fish.

I love salmon and other fish like that though. I'd eat it with lunch/dinner everyday if it weren't for the potential for heavy metal poisoning.

There are some assays of different fish oil brands showing those with the lowest amounts of heavy metals. On top of that, the fish used are typically smaller (anchovies, sardines) and have tiny amounts of heavy metals anyhow. You're more likely to have problems eating shark occasionally than with your fish oil.

 

[Terzo]

Aren't grass fed cows/bison a good (decent?) source of omega-3 as well?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Aren't grass fed cows/bison a good (decent?) source of omega-3 as well?

They are, but they also come with quite a bit of omega-6 (arachidonic acid). Arachidonic acid can promote inflammation and works somewhat in opposition to the omega-3's. I know I'm simplifying the relationship between them way too much, but we Americans already get plenty of omega-6s in our diet.

 

[blackdogdeek]

is a fish oil supplement better than eating more fish?

can anyone recommend a good fish oil supplement?

 

[highland145]

As a long time fish oil user, I can offer my n=1 observations. If I go off the fish oil for a week or more I start getting really bad arthritis-like pain in the joints of my hands (I'm a 27-year old computer programmer) and painful inflammation in my knee and hip joints. A few days after resuming supplementation these symptoms go away, and my flexibility seems to be increased when I'm on it. This is in addition to eating mostly grass-fed beef and minimizing/reducing grains and legumes, both of which tend to aggravate the inflammation problems (well, rice doesn't as far as I can tell, but wheat definitely does).

This.

The knees were in bad sharp. Read this by Kathryn Pirtle. 8 gels/day and codliver oil. Very pleased.

 

[KoolDrew]

is a fish oil supplement better than eating more fish?

can anyone recommend a good fish oil supplement?

Real food is always the preferred choice. However, I can't say I've ever met somebody in person that eats enough fatty fish on a daily basis to provide the recommended amount of EPA/DHA.

I've posted it before, but since I take 10g of fish oil a day, I buy 1000 capsules right from trueprotein.com.

 

[shortylickens]

I don't give a shit about its health benefits, fish are damn tasty. I love fucking sardines drenched in olive oil. There are certain brands of sardines that are tasteless as shit though, gotta find a good brand.

I love fucking them. I can eat em all day long.

:hmm:

 

[MrMatt]

Try eating some fish lower on the food chain (sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovies) as the potential for heavy-metal toxicity is much reduced due to lack of bioaccumulation. A can of sardines a day can be a great (and tasty) substitute for the pills, depending on body size, diet, and degree of inflammation.

The mercury/fish scare is really a lot of hocus pocus. When the government was testing what levels mercury became potentially harmful in humans, they took 1% of these levels and set it as the recommended max for exposure. So you could hypothetically get 100x the max amount of exposure to mercury and still potentially be ok.

Also there's the selenium factor as well. Selenium basically binds to mercury and prevents it from entering your system and damaging it. The foods with the highest amounts of Selenium? Fish.

http://howmuchfish.com/