If there were only two supplements out there that I think everyone should take, they would be a basic multivitamin, and fish oil.
There's so much positive research on fish oil that it's ridiculous. It can lower your triglycerides, it can increase your HDL (your "good" cholesterol), it reduces the risk of blood clots, it reduces the risk of heart arrhythmias, it can lower blood pressure, it may have some anti-inflammatory effects, it may have some weak anti-depressant effects, it may reduce risk of cancer, etc, etc, etc. It doesn't take much to have these benefits, either. Four capsules per day of most fish oil brands can have significant benefits. Our 20/20 Lifestyles brand of fish oil has twice the omega-3 fatty acids that many other brands have, so you only need to take 2 capsules per day.
If all the benefits I mentioned weren't enough, here's another potential benefit...fish oil may help with weight loss.
In a study published in the October issue of the International Journal of Obesity, European researchers found that fish or fish oil improved weight loss. They took 324 men and women and put them on a diet for 8 weeks. They divided the people into 4 groups. One group got sunflower oil capsules (this was the control group). Another group ate three 150 gram portions of lean cod per week. Another group ate three 150 gram portions of fatty salmon per week. A final group took 6 fish oil capsules per day, giving them about 1.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day.
The men eating fish or taking fish oil lost an additional half-pound per week compared to the controls. However, this effect wasn't observed in the women. This could be because the women didn't drop their calories as much as the men during the diet, so they didn't lose as much weight. The women dropped their calories by about 650 calories per day (from around 2,000 to 1,350), while the men dropped their calories by over 1,000 (from about 2,700 to 1,600). The women experienced less weight loss because of this. With smaller weight losses on average, it can be harder to see statistical differences between groups.
The take-home message is that fish oil will give you that extra edge with weight loss. Three 20/20 fish oil capsules per day will give you the same amount of omega-3's that were given in this study. If you're using regular fish oil capsules that you might get from your local store, you'll need 6 capsules. Not only will fish oil help you take off a few extra pounds, but you'll get all of the other health benefits along with it.