December 23, 2008
The You Docs: The ‘new’ fat that actually can make you thin.
The You Docs – Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz – are authors of the best-selling “You: The Owner’s Manual” and “You: On a Diet.”
Maybe you’re not what you eat, after all. Cutting-edge research suggests that the way out of the obesity crisis – and the diabetes, heart disease, strokes and cancer that it brings – isn’t to embrace your inner fat-phobe. Instead, it’s possible that eating fat could make you skinnier than a MacBook Air.
You read that correctly. But don’t order that double-cheeseburger deluxe and the chocolate shake. We’re talking about the right fat – the one and only docosahexaenoic acid (DHA for short); the ultimate form of omega-3 fatty acid.
DHA is the good stuff found in fish-oil capsules and in salmon, trout, herring and mackerel. The fish don’t make it; they get it from the algae they eat. So if you don’t like the taste of fish or don’t want the anti-clotting effect of EPA, you can get the DHA directly from algae. Renowned for protecting hearts against deadly irregular beats, as well as lowering depression risk, cooling inflammation and helping babies grow healthy brains, DHA also has been shown recently to boost fat-burning, discourage excess padding inside the abdomen and promote weight loss.
In one study of overweight people, guys who took daily fish-oil capsules or ate fish three times a week lost 2.2 pounds more in four weeks than those who didn’t. (In this study, women’s weight loss wasn’t affected, but – whew – it was in other studies.) And it’s good for more than your waist: When 65 paunchy Australians added fish or sunflower oil to their regular diets, the fish-oil group saw heart-threatening triglycerides fall 14 percent and heart-protecting HDL cholesterol rise by 10 percent after just 12 weeks. No such benefits from the other fat; the DHA group won hands down.
What’s going on? Fish oil, and specifically DHA, seems to discourage dangerous visceral fat, the kind that wraps itself around internal organs, pumping fatty acids and inflammatory compounds into your bloodstream 24/7. Those dangerous substances raise your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke and even some cancers. In laboratory studies and some human ones, fish oil – or more specifically, the DHA component – also switched on the gene that produces a handy fat-burning protein called adiponectin.
Aim for 600 milligrams of DHA per day from algae or from fish-oil capsules. Most fish-oil brands contain DHA plus EPA, another omega-3 that your body converts to DHA. If a supplement lists both, pick one that has a combined total of 2,000 mg of DHA plus EPA daily. If it has DHA alone, you need only 600 mg. Even if you eat fish regularly or get omega-3s from other sources – see below – getting a daily DHA dose from a capsule is smart nutritional insurance.
Stock up on walnuts and flax, too. Of course, fatty, oily fish is a super source of DHA. But you also can get it through walnuts, ground flaxseed and flaxseed oil. They are great sources of plant-based omega-3s called alpha-linolenic acid, which your body converts to DHA. Don’t stop eating fish and these other superfoods just because you’re taking capsules. More good fats are OK, and these foods are packed with plenty of other nutrients your body needs.
Don’t upset your ethics or your stomach. Vegetarian? In addition to walnuts and flaxseed, capsules of algae oil (also called algal oil, sometimes just called DHA on the label) are a good vegetarian source of DHA.
Get some into your kids. Children also need plenty of good fats, though in smaller doses. We recommend 300 mg a day of DHA for kids weighing 50 to 100 pounds, 200 mg for kids under 50 pounds, and 90 mg a day for those under age 6. For older kids who can swallow pills, try algae-oil capsules – they’re not as bulky as fish oil. For younger kids, try mixing the right amount of liquid fish oil or algae oil into a breakfast smoothie.
Source: http://www.idahostatesman.com/life/story/612332.html
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To Your Health !
