People with diabetes often have high triglycerides and low levels of "good" or HDL cholesterol, which puts them at at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils can help and may be good for you. Your best bet for high levels of omega-3 come from oily fish, like salmon, herring and halibut, or from a fish oil supplement, which you can buy at pharmacies or supplement stores.
Cardiovascular Health Prevention
Fish oil is likely helpful in preventing heart attacks, strokes and artery hardening, all cardiovascular conditions for which diabetics are at greater risk. Fish oil supplements can help lower triglycerides and raise HDL or "good" cholesterol levels, which can in turn help reduce the risk for heart disease, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Diabetes Management
While fish oil may help with cholesterol levels and lower your risk for heart disease, it will not help your diabetes. The American Diabetes Association says fish oil is ineffective in the treatment of diabetes.
Diabetic Dosing
If you are diabetic, you need between 600 mg and 1 g of fish oil per day. This is much more than the average 500 mg recommended for non-diabetics, according to the American Heart Association. If you're diabetic and already have heart disease or have had a heart attack you need double this at 2 g daily. Always discuss any supplements with your doctor before you start taking them.
Type 2 Diabetes
Research has dispelled the notion that Type 2 diabetics may experience a spike in fasting blood sugar with fish oil. In fact, a 2001 study published in the "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" by researchers at the University of Oxford revealed the opposite. Their findings concluded that fasting glucose levels of people with Type 2 diabetes in fact did not change when taking fish oil orally.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; Jun. 25, 2009
- "Diabetes Forecast"; The A-to-Z of Omega-3; Tracey Neithercott; February 2009
- American Diabetes Association: Is Fish Oil Good for People with Diabetes?
- "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews"; Fish Oil in People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; A. Farmer, et al.; 2001
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