Omega-3 vs Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that affects approximately 1.25 million adults and children. This is only in the United States. The body’s immune system does not recognize its own beta cells, so it attacks and destroys them. Beta cells are responsible for creating insulin. It is not yet known what causes type 1 diabetes, and there is currently no cure for the disease. The most common treatment option is to administer insulin. But the ultimate goal of the medical research community is to prevent the body’s immune system from attacking its own beta cells. Or that this process can be reversed.

Study

New research, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, looked at the benefits of adding omega-3 fatty acids to the diet of mice with type 1 diabetes. Omega-3s are a class of polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are typically found in fish, shellfish, and some vegetable oils, as well as in dietary supplements. The study revealed that adding omega-3 to the diet of these mice** significantly improved their glucose metabolism. The incidence of type 1 diabetes also decreased.** The researchers noted a decrease in pro-inflammatory cell signaling proteins, as well as a significant decrease in insulitis. Namely, they noted that omega-3s reduced levels of interferon gamma, interleukin 17, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, or TNF-α. Additionally, they noticed signs of** beta cell regeneration** in the mice that had been treated with omega-3s. Both nutritional supplementation and gene therapy** normalized blood sugar and insulin levels for a minimum of 182 days, **prevented the development of autoimmunity, blocked lymphocyte entry into regenerated islets of the pancreas, and dramatically increased levels of beta cell markers. These results suggest that omega-3 PUFAs may serve as a new therapy for type 1 diabetes. Although more research is still needed, this may be great news for people affected by this disease.