Apple or pear? When it comes to classifying body types, most women as well as men would prefer to respond indignantly with Neither! and point to their own well-shaped hourglass silhouette or V-shape.
Unfortunately, reality often looks quite different, and many of us struggle with an often rather unfavorable distribution of body fat. The result? Nonsensical diets, questionable eating styles, and overambitious training are supposed to fix it, with the subsequent frustration practically guaranteed. Of course, we have long been saying that it doesn’t have to be this way, and here we have found a healthy and sustainable solution for those who want to lose weight. One building block of this concept is the supply of essential omega-3 fatty acids, which are not only important from a health perspective but, according to the latest scientific findings, have been shown to support weight loss!
\nNo matter what kind of fat it is: fat simply does not have a good image! For far too long, foods were assessed solely by their calorie content, while completely ignoring the fact that quality and composition also play a decisive role. Especially when it comes to fats, it is therefore safe to say that not all fat is the same. This can be illustrated particularly well with omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids as follows:
\n(Found, for example, in marine products such as fatty cold-water fish, krill, crustaceans, algae, but also linseed oil, chia oil, and walnut oil)
\nThese occur in both plant-based and marine forms and, for example, help reduce triglyceride levels*. This means excess
\nnutrients are immediately used as energy and are not stored as fat deposits in the first place (= beta-oxidation). Inhibition of the lipogenesis enzyme also reduces the formation of fat and its transport.
*Triglycerides (also called neutral fats) travel through the blood vessels to the fat deposits bound to lipoproteins. This is why the concentration of fats in the blood serum can be measured. If triglyceride levels are elevated, the risk of damage to the blood vessels (arteriosclerosis) increases.
\n(Mainly in plant-based foods such as sunflower oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, etc.)
\nUnlike omega-3 fatty acids, these promote tissue growth, which of course also includes fat. The rule is: the more fatty tissue there is in the body, the better excess dietary energy can be stored in the form of fat deposits.
As is so often the case in life, balance is important! Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids should therefore be balanced in a well-rounded diet. However, since many foods—often of inferior quality—contain a high proportion of omega-6 fatty acids in the form of vegetable oils, this balance is no longer present in many people. And so it is not surprising that studies on overweight individuals show that the imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is often 5:1.
\nTo understand why omega-3 fatty acids are good for a slim figure and favorable fat distribution, it is important to know that there is white, brown, and beige fat. While brown adipose tissue metabolizes fatty acids itself in order to keep the body warm, white adipose tissue ensures that fatty acids are stored so they can in turn be made available to other organs when needed.
Important to know:
\nThe hormone-like active substances in omega-3 fatty acids promote the formation of fat-burning brown adipose tissue! Omega-6 fatty acids, on the other hand, ensure that more fat-storing white adipose tissue is built up. This is an effect whose foundation is laid in earliest childhood—more precisely, during the breastfeeding phase of babies.
One study found that it is not the weight of the breastfeeding mother that forms the basis of fat distribution, but rather the omega-6/3 ratio of breast milk. Once the fat deposits have been established, they then also have a considerable influence on their filling, emptying, and distribution. If too many omega-6 fatty acids are then consumed and the white adipose tissue grows, this becomes noticeable above all around the waist and abdomen—unfortunately with emphasis, because the active substances from omega-6 fatty acids additionally stimulate appetite. This is quite different from omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the feeling of hunger and support a healthier BMI—which, incidentally, has already been proven in several independent studies.
\n(without losing your good mood!)