Research published in the Journal of Nutrition (2007; 137(12): 2629–2634) examined the effects of fish oil on weight gain in an animal model of obesity. Mice bred to be obesity-prone were divided into two groups and fed a high-fat diet. One group received fish oil as part of the diet, while the other served as a control.
Despite consuming a high-fat diet, the mice receiving fish oil gained significantly less weight than the control group. In a separate experiment, the researchers found that fish oil increased the activity of genes involved in lipid metabolism. As the authors noted, “upregulation of intestinal lipid metabolism is associated with the anti-obesity effect of fish oil.”
These findings support earlier research showing that omega-3 fatty acids influence fat metabolism and may reduce the tendency toward excess weight gain, at least in experimental models.
