New Research Shows Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Preventing Type 1-Diabetes

The benefits of a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids have been touted for years. It is well known to aid in keeping hearts healthy and in keeping brains sharp

Now researchers at the University of Colorado and the University of Florida have released the results of a study that shows it may also help in preventing type-1 diabetes.

They used 1,800 children who were at risk for type-1 diabetes and they found that by increasing the patients' consumption of dietary omega 3- fatty acids, seems to be able to reduce the risk of the body attacking its insulin producing cells. This process is known to be a precursor for type-1 diabetes.

.Type-1 diabetes is on the rise in both the United States and in Europe. Dramatically so. And the level of the rise coincides with the changes that have been made in food manufacturing that has caused a decline in omega-3 fatty acids and an increase in omega 6- fatty acids, omega-3's bad relative. The animals that are raised for the market today are fed a diet rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which can lead to inflamation, where as omega-3 has the opposite effect. The amount of omega-3 fatty acids that is found in the food of today is 28 times less than was found in the food 100 years ago.

In studies that were done with mice, the results showed that inflammation in the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas is an early event that leads to type 1 diabetes. They also found that if the inflammation is prevented from happening, you can prevent the onset of the disease. In the study done with the children, the indication is that if you increased the dietary intake of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, you reduce the risk developing an immune response to the insulin-producing cells.

The researchers wanted to see if increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids was in any way connected to the prevention of the development of autoantibodies in the blood that signal the immune system's attack on insulin-producing cells, or if not prevent it, could possible delay it.