Evidence for... Omega-3 for diabetes

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and islet autoimmunity in children at increased risk for type 1 diabetes.
Norris JM et al.
JAMA. 2007;298:1420-8.
1770 children at increased risk for type 1 diabetes because of family history of diabetes or the presence of an identified genetic predisposition at birth were assessed for an association between dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids and the incidence of pancreatic islet autoimmunity (IA) over follow-up. Higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a significantly reduced risk of IA in the group identified by family history. For the newborn group, the risk of IA was inversely associated with the omega-3 status assessed by a blood test.


Fish and long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake and risk of coronary heart disease and total mortality in diabetic women.
Hu FB et al.
Circulation. 2003;107:1852-7.
The association was examined between intake of fish and omega-3 fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and total mortality among 5103 female nurses with diabetes, but free of cardiovascular disease or cancer at study entry. Between 1980 and 1996, there were 362 cases of CHD (141 CHD deaths and 221 nonfatal myocardial infarctions) and 468 deaths from all causes. A strong correlation was observed between the risk of CHD and fish intake: women who consumed fish once a week had a 40% lower risk of CHD than did women who consumed fish less than once per month. Eating fish 5 times per week reduced CHD risk by 64% and overall mortality by 52%. In addition, higher consumption of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a trend toward lower incidence of CHD and total mortality.


Moderate intake of n-3 fatty acids for 2 months has no detrimental effect on glucose metabolism and could ameliorate the lipid profile in type 2 diabetic men. Results of a controlled study.
Luo J et al.
Diabetes Care. 1998 May;21(5):717-24.
Ten men with type 2 diabetes were randomly allocated to 2 months of 6 g/day of fish oils (eicosapentaenoic acid 320 mg and docosahexaenoic acid 215 mg) or 6 g/day of sunflower oil (containing 65% linoleic acid), separated by a 2-month washout interval, in a double-blind crossover design. Fish oil significantly lowered triglyceride levels and the level of plasma lipoprotein(a) without any adverse effects on glycaemic control or overall cholesterol levels.