New and undiagnosed cases of diabetes continue to rise at epidemic rates, with as many as one in three men, women and children projected to be affected by the metabolic disorder by 2025. The high circulating blood sugar levels associated with diabetes significantly raise the risk of developing a host of chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer and dementia. Fortunately, you can protect yourself by including any of a number of naturally occurring nutrients while eliminating excess sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet.
Diabetes develops and progresses as a result of decreased cellular sensitivity to the effects of insulin, as the hormone slowly becomes less effective in its ability to usher sugar out of the bloodstream for use as energy. Over the past decade, researchers have identified a handful of natural compounds that are demonstrated to increase the sensitivity of insulin and lower the risk developing diabetes and related diabetic complications.
Fish oil supplements increase adiponectin levels to help fight diabetes progressionA research study team from the Harvard School of Public Health has published the findings of a meta-analysis in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism that explains how widely-used fish oil supplements modestly increase amounts of a hormone that is associated with lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. The scientists determined that omega-3 long-chain fats raise levels of adiponectin in the bloodstream. Adiponectin is an important hormone that assists metabolic processes like glucose regulation and the modulation of inflammation in the body.
To conduct this study, researchers developed a meta-analysis including 14 randomized, placebo-controlled studies that analyzed the consumption of fish oil of an omega-6 fat substitute (placebo). Six hundred and eighty-two participants were treated with fish oil and 641 were given placebos, consisting of olive and sunflower oils. Individuals taking fish oil increased their adiponectin levels by a statistically significant 0.37 ug/mL. This is the first study to analyze data from prior trials to determine that fish oil consumption increases adiponectin in humans, consequently lowering the risk of developing diabetes.
The lead study author, Dr. Jason Lu concluded "results from our study suggest that higher intake of fish oil may moderately increase blood level of adiponectin, and these results support potential benefits of fish oil consumption on glucose control and fat cell metabolism." Many past studies have shown that fish oil supplementation can significantly lower the risk associated with cardiovascular disease and sudden death from a heart attack. This meta-analysis demonstrates that taking a standardized, distilled fish oil supplement (1,200 to 2,400 EPA/DHA daily) can help thwart development of diabetes and related complications.