Will Fish Oil Pills Cut Diabetes Risk?

New research from Harvard suggests that fish oil pills can help reduce your risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Fish oil supplements, also known as omega-3 fatty acids, increase levels of a hormone called adiponectin,

which is tied to insulin sensitivity and in processes that affect metabolism, like blood sugar regulation and inflammation. High levels of this hormone in the blood stream have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
According to a 2007 survey by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 37 percent of adults and 31 percent of children in the United States take fish oil supplements.
Jason Wu, from the Harvard School of Public Heath, and the study's lead author, said in a news release from the Endocrine Society, "While prior animal studies found fish oil increased circulating adiponectin, whether similar effects apply in humans is not established."
A "meta-analysis" of 14 trials was conducted, meaning researchers reviewed existing research and attempted to find patterns and similarities. The trials they studied in particular were randomized, placebo-controlled trials, a gold standard in research.
"By reviewing evidence from existing randomized clinical trials, we found that fish oil supplementation caused modest increases in adiponectin in the blood of humans," Wu said.
The new study included 682 people who took fish oil supplements and 641 who were given placebos like sunflower or olive oil. In those who received fish oil supplements, adiponectin levels increased 0.37 micrograms per milliliter of blood.
However, the effects of fish oil supplements varied in the studies used, and researchers suggested that omega-3 fatty acids would benefit certain groups of people more than others. They wrote that further research would be needed to determine which specific people would benefit from this supplement.
"Although higher levels of adiponectin in the bloodstream have been linked to lower risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease, whether fish oil influences glucose (blood sugar) metabolism and development of type 2 diabetes remains unclear," said Wu.
"However, results from our study suggest that higher intake of fish oil may moderately increase blood levels of adiponectin, and these results support benefits of fish oil consumption on glucose control and fat cell metabolism," he added.
No relationship has been made between fish oil supplements and decreased diabetes risk.
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