Omega-3 fish oil shows promise against type 2 diabetes
Key takeaways
- Fish oil may have a surprising role in the fight against insulin resistance, especially in a form of type 2 diabetes that is often overlooked.
- The work was funded by FAPESP and focused on Goto-Kakizaki rats, a well established animal model used to study non-obese type 2 diabetes.
- Omega-3 supplements, including fish oil, are often used by people with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
Fish oil may have a surprising role in the fight against insulin resistance, especially in a form of type 2 diabetes that is often overlooked. A Brazilian study published in Nutrients found that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil reduced glucose intolerance and weakened insulin resistance in rats that were not obese but showed a diabetes-like metabolic condition.
The work was funded by FAPESP and focused on Goto-Kakizaki rats, a well established animal model used to study non-obese type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is marked by high blood sugar that occurs when insulin, the hormone that helps move glucose from the blood into cells, does not work effectively.
Omega-3 supplements, including fish oil, are often used by people with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. However, scientists still know much less about how these fatty acids affect insulin resistance when obesity is not involved.