Oily fish, omega-3 supplements protect against type 2 diabetes

Consumption of oily fish and use of fish oil supplements help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), a study has found.

The analysis used data from the UK Biobank and included 392,287 middle-aged and older participants (55.0 percent women) who were free of diabetes, major cardiovascular disease, and cancer at study entry.

All participants provided information on habitual intake of major food groups and use of fish oil supplements at baseline. A total of 163,706 individuals participated in up to five rounds of 24-h dietary recalls during 2009–2012.

Over a median follow-up of 10.1 years, 7,262 participants developed T2D. The disease occurred less frequently among those who consumed oily fish. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios of T2D were 0.84 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] 0.78–0.91) for <1 serving/week, 0.78 (95 percent CI, 0.72–0.85) for weekly, and 0.78 (95 percent CI, 0.71–0.86) ≥2 servings/week relative to nonconsumption (p<0.001).

On the other hand, consumption of nonoily fish had no effect on T2D risk (p=0.45).

Finally, regular fish oil use at baseline was associated with a 9-percent (95 percent CI, 4–14) lower risk of T2D compared with nonuse. Furthermore, constant use of fish oil over time (from baseline to at least one of the 24-h dietary recalls) conferred an 18-percent (8–27) protection against T2D as compared with constant nonuse.