Omega-3s may slash diabetes risk
The mainstream will tell you the only way to prevent diabetes is to cut down on fat -- which only proves they haven't been paying attention.
Carbs are the real enemy.
Some fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, can actually protect your heart -- and two new studies confirm yet again that these essential oils can slash your diabetes risk.
In both studies, researchers say the lowest risk was among patients who had the highest levels of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), a short-chain fatty acid found in walnuts, flaxseed and canola.
In a new examination of data on 3,088 U.S. adults who took part in a heart study, researchers found that patients with the highest ALA levels were 43 percent less likely to get diabetes than those with the lowest.
In the second study, researchers in Singapore found that high ALA levels slashed diabetes risk by 20 percent.
The researchers in that one didn't find any link between fish oil and a lower diabetes risk -- but it was also a weaker study, using interviews on dietary habits to estimate levels of fat intake.
The U.S. study, on the other hand, measured actual blood levels of fatty acids -- and in addition to the link between ALA and diabetes risk, they found that patients with the highest levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were 36 percent less likely to get diabetes than those with the lowest.
EPA and DHA, of course, are the fatty acids found in fish as well as grass-fed meats and dairy.
Now, you should be getting your omega-3 fatty acids in any case -- but let's not kid ourselves here: If you're eating fast food and gulping down soda, all the salmon in Alaska won't keep diabetes at bay.
There's just no magic pill for that.
Instead, make omega-3 fatty acids a key part in a healthy lifestyle low in sugars and refined carbohydrates -- and that's true even if you're not at risk for diabetes, because everyone needs these essential oils.
Studies have found that omega-3s can boost levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, lower triglycerides, protect your heart, keep your eyes sharp, and even ward off gum disease.
One recent study found that fish oil can slash levels of homocysteine, an inflammation marker linked to heart disease, dementia, and more. (Read more here.)
Another found that these fatty acids can help seniors beat depression. (Read more here.)
Forget low-fat -- go full-fat instead... especially when those fats are the omega-3s.
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Edward Martin writes House Calls, a daily letter chronicling the most cutting-edge alternative methods for beating diabetes and cancer, to the latest FDA foul-ups and Big Pharma conspiracies.
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Comments
dr nabil
this is a very important essay and very good information about the benefits of omega 3
Tom CHHC
As these studies only showed the correlation between beneficial fatty acids and the PREVENTION-- but not the TREATMENT-- of diabetes, I would come to a different conclusion. People who have higher levels of lipase, the enzyme that breaks down fat, are less likely to get diabetes. People who are deficient in this enzyme are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Intracellular fat "clogs" insulin pathways and prevents proper blood sugar metabolism. I disagree that carbohydrates cause insulin resistance, as many people can consume loads of carbohydrates without ever developing diabetes. The term "insulin resistance" is actually incorrect in itself, as cells need glucose to function and would not "refuse delivery" of glucose when it is needed. A better explanation is that the glucose pathways are blocked by visceral fat accummulations.
People with a lipase deficiency will not experience the benefits of healthy fats and can actually exacerbate insulin resistance by taking fish oil supplements and the like, without also supplementing with plenty of lipase.
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