posted 10/17/02
Fish oil supplements could help reduce the bad cholesterol in the blood of people with diabetes.
The
Danish scientists maintained that as people with type 2 diabetes have high
levels of fat in their blood, as well as lower levels of HDL ("good")
cholesterol, the results suggest that diabetics could "partially correct" their
condition with the addition of fish oils to their diet.
The study involved 42 adults with type 2 diabetes
who were randomized to take either a 4g daily supplement of fish oil or a
similar capsule of corn oil for 8 weeks preceded by a 4-week run-in period of
corn oil supplementation. Blood was drawn before and after the 8-week
intervention period. Plasma lipoproteins, including LDL and HDL subclasses, were
separated by ultracentrifugation.
The researchers found that those who took the
fish oil supplement for eight weeks lowered their levels of triacylglycerol
(TAG), a fatty substance linked to heart disease. Both HDL-2b cholesterol and
HDL-2a cholesterol (two sub-types of ‘good’ cholesterol) rose compared to those
taking the corn oil. The ratio of LDL to HDL fell by nearly 1 per cent among
patients taking fish oil supplements, and rose 4 per cent among those taking
corn oil.
However the team observed no significant effects
of fish oil on LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, or the concentration of small
dense LDL particles, linked to symptoms of heart disease.
The researchers concluded: “Fish oil supplementation may partially correct the dyslipidemia (abnormal blood fats) of type 2 diabetic patients. However, the very important aspect of diabetic dyslipidemia - the predominance of small dense LDL particles - was unaffected by fish oil.”
Source: Diabetes In Control Dot Com: Diabetes Care 2002;25:1704-1708.
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