Health & Medical Diabetes

Omega-3 May Lower Type 1 Diabetes Risk

Omega-3 May Lower Type 1 Diabetes Risk Sept. 25, 2007 -- Eating a diet rich in omega-3 fats may help keep high-risk children from developing type 1 diabetes, early research suggests.

Dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a lower incidence of autoantibodies in the blood that signal the immune system to attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to have anti-inflammatory properties, and inflammation is believed to play a major role in the development of type 1 diabetes through destruction of these insulin-producing cells.

"The thinking is that omega-3 may increase the body's ability to fight the inflammation that leads to type 1 diabetes," researcher Jill M. Norris, MPH, PHD, tells WebMD.

The University of Colorado professor of preventive medicine adds that the findings, while intriguing, do not prove omega-3-rich foods protect against type 1 diabetes.

The study appears in the Sept. 27 issue of TheJournal of the American Medical Association.

"This is a preliminary study," she says. "We really can't make dietary recommendations based on these findings."

Omega-3, Diabetes Research


In adults, omega-3 rich diets are believed to lower cardiovascular risk, and in babies the fatty acid is believed to boost brain development.

A 2003 study from Norway was one of the first human trials to suggest a protective role for omega-3 fatty acids in type 1 diabetes. Researchers reported a lower incidence of omega-3-rich cod liver oil supplementation during infancy in children with diabetes, compared to children without the disease.

The newly published study included 1,770 children -- from birth to age 3 -- at increased risk for developing type 1 diabetes, followed for an average of six years. These children either had a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes or had genetic tests that showed increased risk.

Omega-3 intake was determined through annual food-frequency questionnaires. Among other things, parents were asked how often their children ate canned tuna and oily fish like salmon or mackerel. They were also asked about the oil they used for home cooking.

Oily fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are among the best food sources of omega-3s, but dark green vegetables and canola oil, sunflower oil, and flaxseed oil are also good sources.

Increasingly, eggs, breads, juices, and other foods are being fortified with omega-3s.

Red blood cells from 244 children in the study were also tested for fatty acid composition to confirm the questionnaire findings.

The research confirmed that children who reportedly had higher intakes of omega-3 fatty acids also had less evidence of the autoantibodies associated with progression to type 1 diabetes.
SHARE
RELATED POSTS on "Health & Medical"
New Information on Type 2 Diabetes
New Information on Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes - Preventing Gestational Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes - Preventing Gestational Diabetes
Diabetes 2 Treatment- A Time to Act
Diabetes 2 Treatment- A Time to Act
FDA Approves New Diabetes Drug Symlin
FDA Approves New Diabetes Drug Symlin
About Insulin
About Insulin
Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan
Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan
How To Treat Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (fsgs) Effectively
How To Treat Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (fsgs) Effectively
Study Explains Why Diabetics Face High Risk From Angioplasty
Study Explains Why Diabetics Face High Risk From Angioplasty
Diabetic Testing Supplies
Diabetic Testing Supplies
Diabetes - 5 Ways to Save Money on Medicine
Diabetes - 5 Ways to Save Money on Medicine
Diabetes and Exercise
Diabetes and Exercise
Use of U-500 Insulin in Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion
Use of U-500 Insulin in Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion
Alternative Health - 7 Tips to Help With Your Weight Loss and Type 2 Diabetes
Alternative Health - 7 Tips to Help With Your Weight Loss and Type 2 Diabetes
A Guide to Symptoms of Diabetes
A Guide to Symptoms of Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Victoza Helps Type 1, Too
Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Victoza Helps Type 1, Too
Blood Sugar Level
Blood Sugar Level
What is Monavie?
What is Monavie?
Diabetic Muscle Infarction: A Systematic Review
Diabetic Muscle Infarction: A Systematic Review
How Is an Epidemiological Study Carried Out?
How Is an Epidemiological Study Carried Out?
We Can Change the Natural History of Type 2 Diabetes
We Can Change the Natural History of Type 2 Diabetes

Leave Your Reply

*