Type 1 diabetes: omega-3s improve kidney health

Kidney health: Omega 3 supplements improve condition in patients with Type 1 Diabetes

Increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids could help reduce kidney damage associated with type 1 diabetes. This is hypothesized by researchers at the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge, UK, who in a study published in the journal Diabetes Care showed that high consumption of these fatty acids reduces theelimination of albumin through the urine, an indicator of good kidney function. However, the study authors point out, Omega-3s do not reduce the incidence of kidney damage.

An autoimmune disease

Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, is a different disease than type 2 diabetes. The latter, in fact, appears later in life, when the body no longer produces or properly uses insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes, on the other hand, is associated with damage to the cells of the pancreas normally responsible for insulin production. This phenomenon is probably associated with an abnormal immune reaction against the cells of the same organism - called an autoimmune reaction. The type 1 form is most prevalent among individuals of European descent. A total of about 2 million Europeans and North Americans are affected. Its incidence is increasing by about 3 percent per year. This figure is even more worrisome when one considers that several complications are associated with diabetes, including an increased risk of developing kidney damage.

The study

The research published by Diabetes Care involved analysis of data regarding 1,436 participants in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, a study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (Bethesda, United States) involving individuals aged 13 to 39 years. The team of researchers led by Amanda Adler measured levels of albumin in urine. This molecule is the most abundant protein in human serum. Patients suffering from kidney problems can lose high amounts of it precisely through urine. It is measured by monitoring the amounts present in urine over a total of 24 hours. Analyzing the available data, the authors of the research found that subjects suffering from type 1 diabetes who consume the highest amounts of Omega-3s -- both eicospaentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) -- over a 24-hour period eliminate 22.7 mg less albumin than those who consume the lower amounts of Omega-3s.

Omega-3s, enemies of diabetes, friends of the kidney

According to Adler and colleagues, these findings demonstrate that EPA and DHA can improve kidney function in patients with type 1 diabetes who consume high amounts of Omega-3. This finding is in agreement with evidence from an earlier study, in which researchers at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (Denver, United States) had shown that taking high doses of Omega-3 in the form of fish oil can reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes by 55 percent. Moreover, the data obtained are in addition to data on the benefits ofOmega-3 intake for the kidneys of individuals with type 2 diabetes obtained by scientists at the University of Hong Kong (China) and published in Diabetic Medicine.  

Source 

1. Lee CC, Sharp SJ, Wexler DJ, Adler AI, "Dietary intake of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid and diabetic nephropathy: cohort analysis of the diabetes control and complications trial," Diabetes Care. 2010 Jul;33(7):1454-6. Epub 2010 Mar 31 2. Norris JM, Yin X, Lamb MM, Barriga K, Seifert J, Hoffman M, Orton HD, Barón AE, Clare-Salzler, M, Chase HP, Szabo NJ, Erlich H, Eisenbarth GS, Rewers M, "Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and islet autoimmunity in children at increased risk for type 1 diabetes," JAMA. 2007 Sep 26;298(12):1420-8 3. Wong CY, Yiu KH, Li SW, Lee S, Tam S, Lau CP, Tse HF, "Fish-oil supplement has neutral effects on vascular and metabolic function but improves renal function in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus," Diabet Med. 2010 Jan;27(1):54-60