Fish Oil & DASH Diet Partially Alters Lipid Metabolism, not glycemic control or adiposity

Omega-3 fatty acids contain two long-chain fats: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are found in oily fish. Recent studies demonstrated the effects of EPA and DHA on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. To further evaluate Dr Fasail Ali and team hypothesized that altering the macronutrient composition of diets in patients with diabetes might alter metabolic and inflammatory abnormalities. They conducted a study to evaluate the changes in plasma lipid profile and identify potential inflammatory mediators following the DASH diet and the omega-3 capsules supplementation.

It was a randomized controlled study in which the researchers included 32 patients and randomized them into two parallel groups. Both groups followed a DASH diet for 12 weeks, one group consumed 6 capsules per day (placebo) (n = 15), the other 6 capsules/day (n = 17) (1000mg EPA/DHA).The researchers assessed the fasting blood samples and clinical parameters at baseline and post-intervention.

Key findings of the study:

• Upon analysis, the researchers found a significant difference in body weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and interleukin-6 and necrosis factor-α in both groups.
• However, they noted that triglyceride (TG) levels and VLDL cholesterol significantly decreased in only the fish oil groups.
• They observed no significant difference within and between the placebo and fish oil groups for adiponectin and leptin at 5.53% and 6.48%, respectively.
• Additionally, they observed no significant effect for fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA of insulin resistance levels, HbA1c, total or LDL, HDL cholesterol in both groups.

The authors concluded, "In type 2 diabetes subjects, fish oil intervention plus DASH diet partially alters lipid metabolism, the production of inflammatory mediators and has no statistically significant effect on glycemic control and adiposity (bodyweight). The nutritional therapy of omega-3 fatty acids supplements may be further investigated by lipidomics and genomics analysis on both type 1 and 2 diabetic patients".

For further information:

Faisal Ali et al. "Omega-3 Fatty Acids intervention and DASH Diet Ameliorates Metabolic profiling in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2". Abstract #0033