How to Use DHA and EPA to Lose Weight

Although many pills falsely claim to help you lose weight, some actually work to help shed stubborn body fat. The EPA and DHA found in fish oil are two fatty acids that significantly reduce body fat and increase muscle, according to a 2010 study conducted by the Department of Health Sciences of Gettysburg College. Furthermore, the study showed that after six weeks of supplemental EPA and DHA, participants had significantly lowered the amount of stress hormone in their blood. This stress hormone, known as cortisol, has been associated with difficulty losing weight.

Instructions

1

Get clean fish oil. Make sure your bottle says marine or mercury free on the back. Cheap fish oils can come at the cost of low-quality purification standards. Spend a little more on your pills to maintain a healthy body.

2

Choose fish oil over plant sources. Plant sources like flax and chia contain a precursor to EPA and DHA called alphalinolenic acid or ALA. A 2010 study conducted by the Central Food Technological Research Institute showed that it took a much higher intake of ALA to increase EPA and DHA in the blood than supplementing with fish oil.

3

Take 1,600 mg of EPA and 800 mg of DHA every day, says the 2010 Gettysburg College study. Although most fish oil supplements contain around 1,200 mg of fish oil in a serving; the content of the fatty acids that have been proven to provide health benefits vary. Read the label to be sure you don't end up taking too many pills a day. In most cases, you will have to take two to four pills to get the recommended dose.