It's in our genes. Humans used to consume 300-400 grams of
omega-3s per week. If we consume more than two grams a day now it's considered
a lot.
Firstly a study published four years ago that showed that if
the US government issued three grams of fish oil per day to every American
citizen, then the amount of cancer and heart disease would go down by 50%
within one year.
Even if you don't really care about cancer and heart disease
at the minute you may care about this: the biggest limiting factor in hard
training athletes to getting leaner and adding muscle is the consumption (or
lack thereof) of omega-3s.
When we were cavemen we often ate what
predators left, for example a lion would eat from the gut onwards and leave the
skull and long bones.
Primitive man would break the skull open and
eat the brains. Brains are 60% fat and 60% of that is DHA, the omega-3. Primitive
man would also break the bones of the prey and suck the marrow, also rich in
omega-3,
DHA particularly. DHA is the omega-3 most responsible for brain
development while EPA is most associated with reducing
inflammation.
Anyone who wants to put on a lot of muscle and lose fat
should be on 30-40 grams of fish oil per day. That's just three tablespoons
of Udo’s Choice oil. It is a pain in the arse with capsules though because
that's around 45 capsules per day, but it's easy with simple oil. The best one available is Udo’s Choice, created
by Dr Udo Erasmus after years and years of research.
Finally, for those of you interested in positively and
optimally altering your body composition and maximizing your training efforts,
fish oils offer thirteen possible advantages:
- Cell membrane health: EPA and DHA insure that cell membranes remain healthy. This results in decreased fat storage in the adipocytes (fat cells).
- Fish oils switch on the lipolytic genes (fat burning genes).
- Fish oils switch off the lipogenic genes (fat storage genes).
- ncrease utilisation of fat stores from the adipocytes. (Brown fat also known as “baby fat”) for energy supply.
- Reduced inflammation from training.
- Pain management from reduced inflammation.
- EPA regulates blood supply to the brain which is essential in maintaining focus in weight training sessions. DHA is important in brain membranes, memory, and cognitive function.
- Fish oils increase serotonin levels (the happy neurotransmitter). Therefore, fish oils will decrease incidence of depression, anxiety, panic attack, andreduce carbohydrate cravings.
- Fish oils will improve your cardiovascular risk profile by lowering VLDL (bad cholesterol), triglycerides, homocysteine, fibrinogen, and increasing HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
- Fish oils can also decrease blood pressure.
- Fish oils are a great stress fighter. For the same amount of stress, a person will produce fewer stress hormones if consuming fish oils on a regularbasis.
- Research has shown that supplementation with fish oils can markedly reduce interlukin-1beta production and results in a significant reduction in morning stiffness
- Fish oil regulates insulin and its response and so you WILL get a body fat reduction
