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.
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.
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.
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Although the teenage years can be a challenge for any child as he/she goes through sexual and emotional changes, it can be especially trying for adolescents with diabetes.
Adolescents inherently want to "fit in." Being different in any way from his/her peers can be emotionally stressful, especially for the teenager.
The teen who previously complied very well with his/her diabetes management plan may now become rebellious and refuse to comply.
He/she may also experience denial of the disease, or display increasingly aggressive behavior in reaction to the stress of managing diabetes, during a time in life that is challenging enough already.
One aspect of diabetes management, blood sugar control, is especially hard during adolescence.
Researchers believe the growth hormone produced during adolescence to stimulate bone and muscle growth may also act as an anti-insulin agent.
Blood sugar levels become harder to control, resulting in blood sugar levels that swing from too low to too high.
This lack of control over blood sugar levels can be very frustrating for your teenager.
Helping your teenager cope:
Open communication between you and your teenager with diabetes is important during these years.
You should recognize that your teenager wants to be treated as an adult, even if that means letting him/her take charge of his/her own diabetes management plan.
Adolescence is a time of spontaneity, such as stopping for pizza after school.
However, the teenager with diabetes also needs to realize that managing his/her diabetes successfully will give him/her the flexibility that is craved.
Teenagers want to be in charge of their own lives, and create their own identities. To achieve this control, the teenager will test limits.
However, a teenager with diabetes can learn that to exert control over his/her diabetes, he/she is learning to gain control over other parts of life.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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