Two new studies suggest that people who consume lots of omega 3 fatty acids in the diet have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
One of the investigations, more than 3,000 U.S. adults age revealed that those with the highest blood levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, for its acronym in English) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), primarily found in fish, were third less likely to develop diabetes over the next decade than those with lower levels.
The second study showed, among 43,000 adults in Singapore, the most alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) ingested with the diet had a lower risk of diabetes. ALA is an omega-3 fat found in certain plants, such as canola and soybeans.
But the authors warn that the fats, for example, could be markers for other characteristics of diet or lifestyle of the participants that influence the risk of developing diabetes. Often, people expect a “magic bullet” against the disease, said Andrew Odegaard of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and author of the study in Singapore.
Odegaard advised to consume plenty of “whole foods” (fruits, vegetables, high fiber grains, legumes, vegetable oils and fish), instead opting for a single nutrient. Neither of the two studies, published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that omega-3 directly reduce the risk of diabetes.
But the U.S. did something new: analyzed the actual levels of omega 3 fatty acids in blood and the risk of diabetes, providing stronger evidence that the questionnaires on eating habits. Luc Djousse team of Harvard, focused on 3088 elderly participants in a study on heart health.
At baseline, we measured blood levels of EPA, DHA and ALA. In the next decade, to 204 were diagnosed with diabetes, 5 percent to 25 percent EPA / DHA higher and 6.5 percent from 25 percent with lower levels of these fats.
In analyzing the ALA, the gap increased: developed diabetes less than 4 percent and 8.5 percent respectively. After accounting for other factors (weight and exercise), individual levels of omega-3 was associated with lower risk of developing diabetes.
In another study, Odegaard team analyzed the medical records of 43,176 adults in Singapore between 45 and 74, and respondents who had eating habits. In the next decade, 2252 developed diabetes. 20 percent more ALA ingested through food were less likely to develop diabetes than the 20 percent who consumed less ALA: a 5 versus 6 percent.
After considering the weight, exercise and other factors, the researchers found that high intake of ALA was associated with a 22 percent reduction in risk of developing diabetes. However, omega 3 fish were not associated with that risk. It is unknown, according to the author why the ALA appears to protect against diabetes. “There is much to consider this issue as complicated nutritional” he said.
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