5 surprising things you didn’t know Omega 3 could help with

With your wedding just round the corner what’s the best supplement you can take to help with a whole range of things.

Your blood pressure’s normal, your joints are creak-free and the only mood swings you get take you from cheery to chipper. In short, you’re mentally and physically as strong as an ox. There’s no point in you taking Omega 3, right?

Wrong. While upping your intake of the essential fatty acid is a no-brainer when it comes to reducing your risk of high blood pressure, arthritis and depression, Omega 3 has more proven health benefits than you can shake a salmon fillet at.

From shifting that last half stone to having an anxiety free wedding, here are 5 surprising benefits of Omega 3. Cast your eye over this little lot - then run to buy a bottle of fish oil before they all sell out.

1. Omega 3 turns you into a fat burning machine

Could the secret to losing that last half stone be found in your medicine cabinet? A team of researchers from Kyoto University believe so. They found that feeding mice a daily dose of Omega 3 activated receptors in their digestive tracts which encouraged fat-storage cells to turn into fat-burning cells instead. They believe the metabolic boost seen in the rodents could apply to us humans, too. 5 surprising things you didn’t know Omega 3 could help with

2. Omega 3 helps you build lean muscle

How about some lean muscle to go with your weight-loss? A study in medical publication, Ageing, found that supplementing with Omega 3 fatty acids stimulated protein synthesis in older adults, bringing with it greater increases in muscle. But a further study from 2011 found it had a similar effect on healthy young and middle aged adults, too. In fact, after supplementing with Omega 3 for eight weeks - and crucially with no change to their usual diet and activity levels - both the participants’ muscle protein concentration and muscle cell size were larger.

3. Omega 3 fights wrinkles and sun damage

So can Omega 3 help you to look younger? It would appear it can. High levels of Omega 3 have been shown to help skin cells hold onto water and plumper skin cells mean a younger looking appearance. But that’s not all. A 2005 study found that EPA can block the release of enzymes caused by sun damage, boosting collagen and helping prevent lines and sagging skin.

4. Omega 3 can help with hair loss

Hair loss is frighteningly common. In fact according to the NHS, nearly 50% of men and 8 million women will be affected. While some hair loss, particularly male pattern baldness, is genetic, nutritional deficiencies are known to affect the state of your mane. According to a study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, women who consumed supplements rich in Omega and fatty acids showed a reduction in hair loss, as well as increased volume and hair thickness.

5. Omega 3 can ease PMS

Whether your pre-period woes take the form of mood swings, breast tenderness or headaches, Omega 3 has been proven to help. In a 2013 study published in the peer-reviewed Complementary Therapies in Medicine, women given 2g of Omega 3 per day for three months saw a huge reduction in symptoms such as depression, anxiety and bloating.