Fish oil will not save you from diabetes
There is an opinion that increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids helps in the fight against diabetes, but there has been no scientifically substantiated data on this so far. A new study commissioned by the WHO at the University of East Anglia has shown that omega-3 supplements do not have a beneficial effect on health.
Omega-3-unsaturated fatty acids are necessary to maintain the body in a healthy state. The most important are alphalinolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA is found in fats from plant products, and EPA and DHA are found in fatty fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are also available as over-the-counter dietary supplements and are very popular. Scientists evaluated the effect of fatty acids on health as dietary supplements.
The meta-analysis combined the results of 83 randomized controlled trials involving 121,070 people with and without type 2 diabetes, lasting at least six months. The subjects randomly received supplements and pacifiers. The study involved both men and women from North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
The effect of an increase in the diet of omega-3 fatty acids on the course of diabetes mellitus and glucose metabolism was evaluated. Blood sugar, insulin and glycated hemoglobin levels were measured – indicators of how well the body copes with glucose metabolism and equally important indicators of diabetes risk.
During the study, scientists did not find a significant difference in the results of tests in people who additionally took fish oil and those who did not. However, there is weak evidence that large doses of fish oil not only have no positive effect, but also worsen glucose metabolism.
The scientists double-checked their data using sensitivity analysis, and also divided the subjects into subgroups to assess the effect of different doses of omega-3 acids (the dosage did not affect the results in any way, except for the assumption of the harm of taking more than 4.4 grams per day) or the duration of the tests (the duration did not affect the results in any way).
Previous studies have shown that omega-3 supplements, including fish oil, do not protect against diseases such as heart disease, stroke or death.
Scientists also believe that the use of supplements for the prevention or treatment of diabetes should not be encouraged. If people still prefer to take additional fish oil capsules for the treatment or prevention of diabetes or to reduce triglyceride levels in the blood, then they should use doses of less than 4.4 grams per day to avoid possible negative consequences.
It was also found that healthy people taking fish oil for the prevention or treatment of diabetes did not receive any obvious health benefits.
In future studies, scientists plan to measure and evaluate the initial levels of omega-3 acid intake in order to identify the benefits for people who are deficient in fatty acids, as well as to find out whether an increase in the consumption of fatty fish will have a positive effect, unlike dietary supplements.
The article by Brown et. al Omega-3, omega-6, and total dietary polyunsaturated fat for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials is published in the British Medical Journal.
Elena Panasyuk, portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on UEA materials: Fish oil supplements have no effect on Type 2 diabetes.