Omega-3s May Reduce Diabetes Risk

Affecting over 220 million people globally, diabetes and its related conditions are currently responsible for 3.4 million deaths annually.  Luc Djousse, from Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues analyzed data collected on 3,000 older men and women enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study, and found that both marine and plant sourced omega-3s were associated with a lower risk of diabetes. Specifically, the association was observed for blood levels of alpha-linolenic acid (the vegetable oil omega-3 fatty acid), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  The team concludes that: “Individuals with the highest concentrations of both [omega-3 fattuy acids and alpha-linolenic acid] had lower risk of diabetes.”