Low dose omega-3 supplements show (minor) benefits in overweight people

Related tags Obesity Omega-3 fatty acid

Daily supplements of omega-3 fatty acids increased levels of a hormone linked to diabetes, but had no effect on inflammation in overweight people, says a new study from Denmark.

Researchers from Aarhus University Hospital report that a daily dose of 1.1 grams of omega-3s resulted in a significant decrease in levels of adiponectin, a hormone released from fat cells that plays an important role in the regulation of insulin sensitivity and energy, after 6 weeks of supplementation, but had no “overall anti-inflammatory effect”.

The study involved 50 overweight people taking the 2 grams per day of fish oil or olive oil (control), and the results are published in Nutrition Research.

“Our study hypothesis was only partly verified, as there was an expected (albeit small) effect on adiponectin levels but no overall anti-inflammatory effect of supplementation with a low dose of marine omega-3 PUFA,” wrote the researchers.

“Further studies are, therefore, needed to study effects on inflammatory markers and to establish the optimal dose of marine omega-3 PUFA in overweight subjects.”

Source: Nutrition Research
January 2012, Volume 32, Issue 1, Pages 15-23
“Low-dose fish oil supplementation increases serum adiponectin without affecting inflammatory markers in overweight subjects”
Authors: A. Gammelmark, T. Madsen, K. Varming, S. Lundbye-Christensen, E.B. Schmidt