Month: May 2014

Dietary intake of omega 3 fatty acids was associated with a lower incidence of autoantibodies in the blood that signal the immune system to attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to have anti-inflammatory properties, and inflammation is believed to play a major role in the development of type 1 diabetes through destruction of these insulin-producing cells.

“The thinking is that omega 3 may increase the body’s ability to fight the inflammation that leads to type 1 diabetes,” researcher Jill M. Norris, MPH, PHD announced yesterday.

“This is a preliminary study,” she says. “We really can’t make dietary recommendations based on these findings.”

The study appears in an issue of TheJournal of the American Medical Association.

Omega 3, Diabetes Research

Omega 3 Vitamins and Diabetes

In adults, omega 3 rich diets are believed to lower cardiovascular risk, and in babies the fatty acid is believed to boost brain development.
A 2003 study from Norway was one of the first human trials to suggest a protective role for omega-3 fatty acids in type 1 diabetes. Researchers reported a lower incidence of omega 3-rich cod liver oil supplementation during infancy in children with diabetes, compared to children without the disease.

The newly published study included 1,770 children — from birth to age 3 — at increased risk for developing type 1 diabetes, followed for an average of six years. These children either had a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes or had genetic tests that showed increased risk.

Omega 3 intake was determined through annual food-frequency questionnaires. Among other things, parents were asked how often their children ate canned tuna and oily fish like salmon or mackerel. They were also asked about the oil they used for home cooking.

Oily fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are among the best food sources of omega-3s, but dark green vegetables and canola oil, sunflower oil, and flaxseed oil are also good sources. Increasingly, eggs, breads, juices, and other foods are being fortified with omega 3 fatty acids.

Red blood cells from 244 children in the study were also tested for fatty acid composition to confirm the questionnaire findings.

The research confirmed that children who reportedly had higher intakes of omega 3 fatty acids also had less evidence of the autoantibodies associated with progression to type 1 diabetes.

Plans for More Omega 3 Research

An interventional trial funded by the National Institutes of Health should offer more clues about the link between diet and type 1 diabetes, especially the role of omega-3 fatty acids. The trial is designed to explore whether babies with a genetic predisposition for developing type 1 diabetes show fewer signs of inflammation when given supplements of the omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), from infancy.

An expanded version of the trial is planned to determine whether DHA protects infants and children from the development of the autoantibodies that lead to diabetes. If researchers find a direct link between DHA supplementation and a reduction in the inflammatory activity that leads to diabetes, omega-3 supplementation could become a major strategy for preventing the disease.

Michael Clare-Salzler, MD, who will lead the study.

“If supplementation does work, the timing may be critical,” he says. “That is what this trial is all about. We want to test this hypothesis that if we get to babies early with anti-inflammatory therapy we can block the development of these autoantibodies.”

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Osteoporosis is a somewhat treatable condition in which the bones become brittle and weak, is responsible for about 70% of the hip fractures in Canada, leading to considerable disability. Healthy lifestyle choices begun at an early age combined with proper screening, early detection, and appropriate Osteoporosis treatment can offset bone loss and prevent or delay serious complications.

Throughout our lives our bodies go through a process of breaking down old bone material and replacing it with new bone. In our early years, we make more bone than we lose until we reach our lifetime maximum bone mass. For a woman that can happen in her teen years. For men, it’s a little later. At that point, the process reaches a balance and the amount of bone made is about the same as the amount of bone lost. As we age, we begin to lose bone faster than we make it.

One in four Canadian women and one in eight men over the age of 50 will lose so much of their bone mass that their bones will become fragile and break easily. In severe cases, a simple hug can be enough to break a bone. It is important to know the risk factors for Osteoporosis as well as Osteoporosis treatment if you have it now.

Who is likely to develop Osteoporosis?

A number of factors appear to play a role in determining who will develop the condition. The Osteoporosis Society of Canada has identified major and minor risk factors. The more of these risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing osteoporosis.

The major risk factors for Osteoporosis are:

• Fracture with minimal trauma after age 40
• Family history of osteoporotic fracture (especially if your mother had a hip fracture)
• Long-term (over three months) therapy with a glucocorticoid (a group of anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis)
• Having a medical condition that affects the absorption of nutrients (such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease)
• Primary hyperparathyroidism (overproduction of parathyroid hormone)
• Tendency to fall
• Osteopenia (decreased bone density but not enough to be classified as osteoporosis) apparent on x-ray
• Hypogonadism (low – testosterone in men or loss of menstrual periods in young women)
• Early menopause (before age 45)

The minor risk factors for Osteoporosis are:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland)
• Prolonged use of anticonvulsants or heparin
• Body less than 57 kg (125 Ibs.)
• Present more than 10% below at age 25
• Low calcium intake
• Excess caffeine consumption (consistently more than 4 cups daily of coffee, tea, or cola)
• Excess alcohol consumption (consistently more than 2 drinks daily)
• Smoking

Osteoporosis does not produce any symptoms until the bones become so brittle that they break easily, so everyone over age 65 and everyone over 50 who has at least one of the major risk factors or at least two of the minor risk factors should talk to their doctor about being tested for the condition.