High Omega-3 PUFA Intake Reduces Type 2 Diabetes Risk

A higher level of serum long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) — an objective biomarker of fish intake — is linked to a lower long-term risk for type 2 diabetes, according to the results of a new prospective, population-based cohort study.

Among dietary factors, the long-chain omega-3 PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), from fish and other seafood have gained special interest because of their beneficial effects on the risk for cardiovascular diseases and several risk factors for diabetes, including inflammation, adiposity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, explain Jyrki K. Virtanen, PhD, adjunct professor of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, and colleagues in their article published in the January issue of Diabetes Care. 

Source: High Omega-3 PUFA Intake Reduces Type 2 Diabetes Risk. Medscape. Jan 22, 2014.