Type 1 Diabetes Prevention
Linked to Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Youngsters at high risk for developing type 1 diabetes might be able to prevent the disease by eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a new study suggests.

Reporting in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers found that high-risk children with the highest omega-3 intake had up to a 55 percent reduced risk of type 1 diabetes.

"The kids with more omega-3 in their diets were about half as likely to develop type 1 diabetes than those with less," says study author Jill Norris, Ph.D., at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, walnuts, and certain plant oils, such as canola and olive. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and are believed to help reduce the incidence of heart disease.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly attacks the islet cells in the pancreas. Insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels, is produced by the islet cells.

Reduction in Diabetes 1 Rates Significant
In past research, scientists discovered that Norwegian children who were regularly given cod liver oil supplements, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, had a lower incidence of type 1 diabetes.

It was not clear, however, whether the vitamin D or the omega-3 was responsible for the reduced risk.

To assess the affect of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids on the risk of type 1 diabetes, Dr. Norris and her colleagues recruited 1,770 children who were at high risk for developing type 1 diabetes.

They either had a family member with the disease or had genetic markers that put them at a higher risk for developing type 1 diabetes.

Parents began periodically reporting dietary intake when the children were a year old. The average age at follow-up was 6.2 years. During that time period, 58 children developed type 1 diabetes, according to the study.

The researchers found no statistically significant differences in the rate of diabetes based on omega-6 consumption; however, there was a 55 percent reduced risk in those who reported consuming the most omega-3 fatty acids.

Because self-reported dietary information is not always the most reliable indicator of actual consumption, the researchers conducted an analysis that included 244 children and measured a biomarker of omega-3 consumption from the blood.

In this subgroup, the researchers found that omega-3 fatty acid consumption reduced the risk of type 1 diabetes by 37 percent.

Dr. Norris said the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3s may be behind this potentially protective effect. "Inflammation is part of the very early process of diabetes," she explains.

"In type 1 diabetes, there is an inflammatory response that causes [islet] cell destruction, and it may be that omega-3 is a modulator of that inflammation," says Dr. Stuart Weiss, at New York University Medical Center.

Dr. Weiss cautions that this effect may not be permanent, however.

"It may just be that omega-3s have delayed the onset of the disease, but the longer those cells function, the better," he says.

Findings Need Confirmation, Experts Say
Dr. Weiss adds he hopes the findings prompt a large, randomized, controlled study to confirm whether or not omega-3 consumption can truly prevent diabetes.

Dr. Norris says it is too soon to recommend that children, even those at high risk of diabetes, consume more omega-3s for the prevention of diabetes.

Dr. Weiss says that omega-3 fatty acids are often already part of a healthy diet since they are found in fish, fish oil, and plant oils.

Always consult your physician for more information.

Online Resources

(Our Organization is not responsible for the content of Internet sites.)

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Family Physicians - Nutrition and Fitness

American Academy of Pediatrics

Journal of the American Medical Association - Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake and Islet Autoimmunity in Children at Increased Risk for Type 1 Diabetes

Juvenile Diabetes Foundation

National Diabetes Education Program

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)