It has been proven time and again that fish oil can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cut blood pressure and cholesterol level. Recently, losing weight may be included in the list.
According to a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers a long time found out while looking under a microscope that the body has two different fats, white and brown. Just recently, Japanese researchers from Kyoto University have found a way to transform fat-storing cells (white) into fat-burning cells (brown).
As soon as we are born, our body is already filled with brown fat cells which convert fat into energy our body can use. As time pass, the number of these cells are reduced and replaced by white fat cells which stores energy in the body (often called excess fats).
A fat cell was discovered recently, called a beige fat cell which acts like a brown fat cell. Without these fat digesting cells, fat will be stored in the person's body as they age. With this in mind, the research team was determined to see if a particular food type can increases the number of beige cells in the body.
The study's senior author Teruo Kawada, a researcher at Kyoto University said in a press release that the team knew from past research that fish oil has a lot of health benefits, which includes the prevention of fat accumulation. He also said that they tested if fish oil and an increase in the number of beige cells in the body are related.
This is where the Mediterranean diet comes in the picture. The diet has been known to lower the risk of heart disease and help people lose weight. However, it was not until the researchers assessed fish out that they figured out the main reason for the dietary benefits.
Those who maintain a heart-healthy Mediterranean diet were 47% less likely to develop heart diseases that are according to a recent 10-year-long study unveiled at the American Cardiology's meeting.
