Omega-3 fatty acids reduce risk of Type 1 diabetes

28 September, 2007

A new research has found that children with a genetic risk of acquiring Type 1 diabetes, an auto-immune disease that causes the destruction of insulin-producing cells, could reduce their risk by 55% by eating omega-3 fatty acids found in certain kinds of fish.

Type 1 diabetes is treatable, but has no cure. Though its exact cause is unknown, it is believed to be influenced by both environmental and genetic factors.

The study has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Dr Jill M. Norris of the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, the United States, and colleagues examined whether consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are associated with the development of pancreatic islet auto-immunity (development of antibodies against the cells in pancreas that produce insulin) in children.

The study, conducted between 1994 and 2006, included 1,770 children at increased risk for Type 1 diabetes, defined as either in possession of a high diabetes risk HLA (human leukocyte antigen) genotype or having a sibling or parent with Type 1 diabetes.

The average age at follow-up was 6.2 years. Islet auto-immunity was assessed in association with reported dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids starting at age 1.

Fish is the primary source of marine polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fish rich in omega-3 are mackerel, sardines, tuna, and salmon.

Certain dietary factors have been associated with the onset of Type 1 diabetes as well as the auto-immune process that leads to the disease.

Dr Jill Norris said the study is “exciting because it suggests we might be able to develop nutritional interventions to prevent diabetes.”

Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes in children. It occurs when the immune system goes haywire and starts attacking insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

No one knows exactly what triggers this process, but heredity and environmental factors such as diet are thought to play a role.

Several studies in animals have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids – which are found in fish, flaxseed oil, walnuts, soybeans, and other foods – may help.

Omega-3 fatty acids interfere with enzymes that play a role in inflammation, a potential trigger for Type 1 diabetes.

About 194 million people in the world suffer from diabetes. The World Health Organization expects the number to go up to over 300 million by 2025. Most of these people have Type 2 diabetes, which is linked with poor diet and lack of exercise.