Effect of Fish Oil Supplement in Reducing the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Type 2 Diabetes - Literature review Example

? Effect of Fish Oil Supplement in Reducing the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Diabetes is one of the most deadly diseases in the world today, and it is in fact, among those diseases that have high mortality rates. The number of people with this disease is steadily increasing and this has raised a lot of concern among governments and medical practitioners. This is because one of the risks of acquiring this disease is that it may lead to the development of heart disease as well as disease of the blood vessel. Furthermore, there is also the risk of the development of high blood pressure among those who have diabetes. It has been estimated the risk of developing heart diseases more than doubles within the first few years of the discovery of diabetes in individuals. In addition, more than seventy five percent of the people who have diabetes are at risk of dying because of heart disease, a situation that is indeed scary for those concerned. Nutritional remedies for the prevention of heart disease among those people with diabetes have been and continue being studied, in the hope that a lasting solution to this problem will be found. It has been recommended by specialists in cardiovascular diseases that the consumption of fish oil supplements would ensure that the body is well supplied with omega 3 fatty acids, which are good in the prevention of heart disease. Research suggests that the consumption of fish oil supplement daily is most effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes and should therefore be used as a primary treatment for diabetes. Plenty of literature has been written concerning the merits of fish oil supplements being effective in the reduction of cardiovascular disease and some of these shall be analyzed. According to Rudkowska (2010), studies conducted in the 1970s showed that those populations which consumed large quantities of fish had extremely low instances of cardiovascular disease. Thus, the population of the Eskimos who lived in Greenland and consumed plenty of fish displayed fewer instances of cardiovascular disease than those populations in the west which consumed the typical western diets. The explanation which is given by Rudkowska concerning the association between fish consumption and the protection from cardiovascular disease is that there was a lot of consumption of the heart friendly omega 3 fatty acids, which protected the population from this disease. From this time onwards, it is stated that the tests which were carried out on fish consumption proved that it, in fact, helped to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease through the intake of the omega 3 fatty acids. While this may be true, further studies of fish consumption showed that for those people who did not have a history of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, the consumption of more than five helpings of fish every week increased the risk of the development of the latter disease. This was in comparison with those people who consumed fish not more than once every month, and the risk was slightly higher in the case of women than in men. The presence of toxins such as dioxins and methyl mercury in fish has been reported to be responsible for interruption of insulin signaling pathways. Further studies have shown that the consumption of large amounts of fish oil might interfere with the glucose tolerance and the insulin resistance in those individuals who have type 2 diabetes (Bjorgas 2012). Despite the fact that fish oil supplements may be harmful to individuals with type 2 diabetes, this is not because of the oil itself but the large amounts of it that is consumed. If the fish oil is consumed in small, reasonable amounts by those who have diabetes, then there would be no risk of there being any problems with glucose control in the body. Jafari et al (2013) state that in a study conducted in the Netherlands and Finland over thirty years, it was found that an increase in the consumption of fish inversely affected the blood glucose level of individuals. They further state that studies have shown that the consumption of more than one portion of fish per week, when compared to consuming only one portion was related to a lower risk in the development of diabetes. Other studies were in contrast to this because their results showed that the consumption of fish more than once a week did not in any way affect the lowering of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Patel, et al 2012). In line with Rudkowska’s (2010) assessment mentioned above, a study conducted showed that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was slightly higher in women who consumed more than five helpings of fish per week than in those who consumed less than one helping per month. In obvious agreement with Rudkowska, Jafari et al suggest that toxins such as dioxins may play a role in the interruption of insulin actions, and that the high consumption of omega 3 fatty acids might be harmful because it may cause the lowering of glucose utilization in the body. Another study, assessed by Jafari et al (2013), was conducted to study the role of omega 3 fatty acids originating from marine and none-marine sources in the development of type 2 diabetes. The findings showed that those from marine sources did not have anything to do with the risk of diabetes development. Those from non-marine sources, however, showed that they were responsible for a decrease in the risk of the development of type 2 diabetes. According to McEwen et al (2010), diabetes and cardiovascular disease have been a cause for major health concerns among people all over the world because they are leading causes in mortality. They state that diet participates in a big way in the development of not only diabetes, but also cardiovascular disease. The consumption of omega 3 fatty acids has, for a long time been attributed to the maintenance of good health, and also in playing a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. In their article, McEwen et al aim at reviewing the roles of omega 3 in the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular disease among those individuals with diabetes. They state that the consumption of omega 3 by these individuals is essential because of the fact that the body does not synthesis the omega 3 fatty acids. Because of this, these heart friendly fatty acids have to be obtained from dietary sources; they being most effective when consumed in small quantities (Dyson, et al 2011). They suggest that while omega 3 can be found in small quantities in beef poultry and pork, the best source for them is fish. Like the two studies assessed by the above authors, McEwen et al (2010) state that the consumption of fish has been related to the reduction of mortality through cardiovascular disease among individuals suffering from diabetes. It is stated that the regular consumption of fish, in small quantities, is responsible for the reduction of cardiovascular deaths, while there is agreement that consumption in large quantities creates an increase in omega 3 levels, hence increasing the risk. In studies that were reviewed by Montori et al (2000), it was found that fish oil supplementation was responsible for the lowering of the risk of cardiovascular disease. Studies conducted on hypertriglyceridemic subjects who had regular fish oil supplementation showed a reduction in the levels of triglyceride. It was also found that fish oil supplementation did not result in any increase in the glucose levels in the body, therefore, showing that it had no effect on the occurrence of diabetes in individuals (Stirban, et al 2010). In conclusion, the studies discussed above indicate that fish oils help a great deal in the reduction of the risk of the development of cardiovascular disease among individuals with diabetes. However, some studies indicate that omega 3 fatty acids in fish oils, in consumed in large amounts, plays a role in the increase of blood sugar as well as cholesterol levels. Therefore, it can be said that while they pause a slight risk to the consumer, fish oils in general do not negatively affect the metabolism of glucose, or the sensitivity of insulin. The consumption of fish oil should be recommended for those people suffering from diabetes because it has the ability to prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. The side effects of it consumption are so low that it can be taken by diabetes patients without putting themselves in any risk. The studies above have proven that the negative effects of fish oil are negligible, and because of this, it is safe to use it as long as its usage is not too high to cause harm. In addition, the consumption of non-marine fish was found to have the effect of decreasing the chances of individuals, who had not developed type 2 diabetes, to get it. Hence, use of fish oil can be said to be the best option for individuals with diabetes since it is not only healthy, but it also has the ability to prevent the development of cardiovascular disease as well as the reduction of the levels of triglyceride. References Bjorgaas, M.R. (2012). Cerebral effects of severe hypoglycemia in young people with type 1 diabetes. Pediatric Diabetes 13. 100 – 107. Dyson, P.A. et al. (2011). Diabetes UK Position Statements and Care Recommendations Diabetes UK evidence-based nutrition guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes. Diabetic Medicine. 1282 – 1288. Jafari, T. et al. (2013). “Role of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in type 2 diabetes: A review of epidemiological and clinical studies. Maturitas 74. 303 – 308. McEwen, B. et al. (2010). Effect of Omega-3 Fish Oil on Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes. The Diabetes Educator 36. 565. Montori, V.M. et al. (2000). Fish Oil Supplementation in Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 23.9. 1407 – 1415. Patel, M. et al. (2012). Factors Associated with Consumption of Diabetic Diet among Type 2 Diabetic Subjects from Ahmedabad, Western India. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition 30.4. 447 – 455. Rudkowska, I. (2010). Fish oils for cardiovascular disease: Impact on diabetes. Maturitas 67. 25 – 28. Stirban, A. et al. (2010). Effects of n–3 fatty acids on macro- and microvascular function in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 91. 808 – 813. Read More