Children who have a higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes lower their chances by up to 55 percent if they eat fatty acids often found in fish oils.
Omega-3 fatty acids lower the incidence of autoantibodies in the blood that signal the immune system to attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. They also have anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the inflammation, which is believed to play a major role in the development of type 1 diabetes.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at 1,770 children at an increased risk of type-1 diabetes between 1994 and last year.
The authors said, "Our study suggests higher consumption of total omega-3 fatty acids is associated with a lower risk of insulin producing cells." Type-1 diabetes is a disease which destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
However the scientists have warned that it is still a preliminary study and "We really can't make dietary recommendations based on these findings."
Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids, which means that they are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish and certain plant oils.
Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development.
Infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems.
