Should You Take Omega 3’s for Diabetes?

Should you take omega 3’s for diabetes? There is conflicting evidence on whether or not you should take omega 3 fats for diabetes prevention.

In 2019, a review published in BMJ and commissioned by the World Health Organization concluded that while consuming more omega-3 fatty acids may decrease heart attack risk, it does not appear to lower the risk of diabetes development.

The study encompassed a review of 83 randomized trials with over 120,000 participants, including individuals with and without diabetes, each lasting six months or more.

The findings indicated that augmenting the diet with omega-3, omega-6, or total polyunsaturated fats for an average duration of nearly three years had no significant effect on glucose metabolism or the likelihood of developing diabetes.

The research was essentially a follow up to previous studies suggesting that omega-3 fats might reduce diabetes risk and help regulate blood sugar. More on those later.

More Recent Research Saying Omega 3’s for Diabetes may be Worth It

A comprehensive study published in 2021 analyzed several major databases, including Pubmed, LILACS, Scielo, Scopus, and Web of Science, focusing on experimental studies that examined the effects of omega-3 supplements on diabetes treatment or prevention.

Specifically, they looked at how these supplements influenced fasting blood glucose, insulin resistance, and glycated hemoglobin levels.

Here is what was found:

• In total, 30 studies were reviewed, with nearly 70% of them showing at least one significant positive effect of omega-3 supplementation on diabetes-related factors.
• A detailed meta-analysis revealed a notable reduction in fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance among those who took omega-3 supplements.
• However, the supplements did not significantly affect glycated hemoglobin levels.
• Overall, this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that omega-3 supplementation can have beneficial effects on key diabetes parameters.

The Previous Studies Finding a Positive Correlation

In 2011, two studies revealed that omega-3s may also be able to reduce the risk of developing diabetes. This is probably the previous research that was being referenced in the BMJ study. The issue was they were observational.

One study involved 43,000 adults in Singapore, and the other involved more than 3000 adults from the U.S. Researchers involved with the Singapore study noticed that those people with the highest levels of the omega 3 ALA, or alpha-linolenic acid, had a lower risk of diabetes.

Similarly, the U.S. study found that those with omega-3’s eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were nearly 33% less likely to develop diabetes than those with lower levels.

Researchers felt that the connection between omega-3s and reduced diabetes risk may have been due to the fact that those participants with higher levels of omega-3s lead healthier lifestyles and made better food choices than those lacking omega-3s.

But the study did not find a link between fish consumption and reduced diabetes risk. It was speculated that fish consumption may not have the positive impact due to how the food is prepared.

If the fish is cooked or prepared in an unhealthful way, such as being deep-fried or served with fries, the benefits that the omega-3s provide could essentially be wiped out.

Should You Take Omega-3 Supplements?

Supplements can definitely help (if derived from a high-quality source like this one), though you could also focus on eating whole foods for omega-3s than it is to isolate single nutrients. Not all omega-3s are created equal, and some contain harmful ingredients and fillers.

Some of these foods include:

• Anchovies
• Bluefish
• Flounder
• Freshwater trout
• Herring
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Sturgeon
• Tuna
• Beans
• Canola oil
• Chia seeds
• Edamame
• Flaxseed
• Soybean oil
• Walnuts

What’s more, you can rest knowing that nature has provided all of the other essential vitamins, nutrients, minerals, etc. to accompany the omega-3s in the whole food, just as nature intended.

Omega 3’s are great at reducing inflammation throughout the body and boosting overall heart health.