Omega-3 fatty acids, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

Abstract

• In a manuscript published in July of 2011, Saidpour et al¹ reported beneficial effects of fish oil and olive oil on insulin resistance after an eight-week intervention in rats. Fish oil is a rich source of n-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).² There is evidence for the role of n-3 fatty acids in insulin resistance and diabetes, as other studies have shown similar effects of fish oil on insulin resistance in obese rats² as well as in humans.³ Furthermore, according to a recent study, omega-3 supplementation in diabetic patients results in increasing visfatin levels,⁴ although evidence is controversial regarding visfatin and its function. While visfatin is an inflammatory factor and higher levels may have adverse effects,⁴ omega-3 fatty acids help prevent glucose intolerance and have anti-inflammatory properties.⁵