Omega-3 may reduce type-1 diabetes

An increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources may protect children at high risk of type-1 diabetes from developing the disease, suggests new research.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at the incidence of the disease among 1770 children at high risk of developing type-1 diabetes, with increased omega-3 intake associated with a 55 per cent reduction in risk.

In order to investigate the potential role of dietary factors in the development of type-1 diabetes, researchers examined whether consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids was associated with the development of pancreatic islet autoimmunity (IA).

Dietary intakes were evaluated using a 111-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) completed annually by the children's mothers. The children were recruited at age two and followed for an average of 6.2 years. Children were identified as having a high risk of type-1 diabetes by either possessing a high diabetes risk HLA (human leukocyte antigen) genotype or having a sibling or parent with type 1 diabetes.

The researchers also conducted a case-cohort study with a subset of 244 children in order to investigate the risk of IA related to the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in red blood cell (erythrocyte) membranes.

They noted that a newly established clinical trial, called "The Nutritional Intervention for the Prevention of Type 1 Diabetes," is testing if dietary supplementation with anti-inflammatory doses of DHA during pregnancy and infancy could inhibit early islet inflammatory events key to the development of type-1 diabetes.

"If this trial confirms this hypothesis, dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids could become a mainstay for early intervention to safely prevent the development of type 1 diabetes," concluded Norris.

Steve - for those of us in that understand the nutrigenomic and epigenetic nature of certain natural substances, this is not a surprising finding. While the structure of the study was a FFQ and Case Cohort (not ideal), we already know that omega-3 fatty acids harmoniously modify our epigenetic kinases (that send messages to our genes). Hence, the negative expression of the type-1 diabetes genes will stay dormant. So yes, women who are thinking of getting pregnant, who get pregnant, give birth, and nurse should supplement with omega 3. Children should also ingest sufficient omega 3's.