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 Consuming
the omega-3 fatty acids present in certain kinds of fish could lower
the likelihood of acquiring type 1 diabetes in children who are at
risk, according to a recent study. The research found that children
with a genetic risk of acquiring type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune
disease that causes the destruction of insulin-producing cells,
could reduce their risk by 55% by eating omega-3s.
Type 1 diabetes is treatable but has no cure, and
although its exact cause is unknown it is believed to be influenced
by both environmental and genetic factors. The study, published in
the Journal of the American Medical Association, was conducted
between 1994 and 2006 and included 1,770 children.
The subjects were at “increased risk for type 1
diabetes, defined as either possession of a high diabetes risk HLA
(human leukocyte antigen) or having a sibling or parent with type 1
diabetes.” Over the course of an average of 6.2 years, the
development of their pancreatic cells which produce insulin were
traced in relation to their consumption of omega-3, beginning at age
one. Dietary information was supplied by their parents who filled
out a food frequency questionnaire.
“Our study suggests that higher consumption of
total omega-3 fatty acids is associated with a lower risk of IA
(pancreatic islet autoimmunity, or the development of antibodies
against the cells that produce insulin) in children at increased
genetic risk of type 1 diabetes,” the researchers said. Juvenile
diabetes occurs less frequently, with just 10% of all cases, than
type 2 diabetes which mainly affects adults over age 40, many of
whom are obese or overweight. Fish rich in omega-3 are mackerel,
sardines, tuna and salmon.
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