Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high blood sugar and complications that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that may reduce your risk of heart disease. Consuming foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids may reduce your risk of complications. Consult your doctor or nutritionist about your diet and health benefits of eating foods with omega-3 fatty acids.
Diabetes
Diabetes affects almost 26 million people in the United States, over 90 percent of whom have type 2 diabetes, formerly called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and 7 million who are undiagnosed. Although diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States, more than two thirds of diseased diabetics also had heart disease. In fact, adults with diabetes have two to four times the death rates associated with heart disease and two to four times the risk of stroke than adults without diabetes. Improving cholesterol levels, particularly LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications among diabetics by 20 to 50 percent. (reference 4) The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention projects that the prevalence of diabetes will triple by 2050, in part due to an aging population and number of children and adults who are obese, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat that is essential for your health. Alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaneoic acid and docosahexaneoic acid are three omega-3 fatty acids found in foods. Alpha-linolenic acid is found in plant-based foods, such as walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and soybeans. Eicosapentaneoic acid and docosahexaneoic acid are found in fish, particularly in high concentrations in cold water, fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, sardines, halibut and tuna.
Prevention
Consuming omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of obesity and developing type 2 diabetes. Research by scientists at the University of Newcastle in Callaghan, Australia, and published in the January 2011 issue of "International Journal of Pediatric Obesity" discovered that lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids from diet are associated with a greater prevalence of obese children and higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with lower prevalence of obese children. The research also found that blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with fasting insulin levels, whereby higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids are correlated with lower risk of insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The research concludes that the association between omega-3 fatty acids and weight and insulin resistance in children is important in the prevention of obesity-related chronic diseases in later life.
Treatment
Consuming omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease among diabetics. Research by scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia and published in "Diabetes Educator" in the July/August 2010 issue found diets higher in fish and omega-3 fatty acids may reduce cardiovascular risk in diabetes. The scientists discovered consumption of omega-3 fatty acids reduces the death rate from cardiovascular disease by between 15 to 19 percent.
References
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; Diabetes; 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; 2010
- American Diabetes Association; Fat and Diabetes; 2010
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; National Diabetes Statistics, 2011; February 2011
- Centers For Disease Control and Prevention; Number of Americans with Diabetes Projected to Double or Triple by 2050; 2010
- "International Journal of Pediatric Obesity"; Omega-3 Index, Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Children; T. Burrows, et al.; Jan 12 2011
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