Study Suggests Omega-3 Fatty Acids Increase Levels of
Hormone Tied to Insulin Sensitivity
Widely-used fish oil supplements modestly increase amounts
of a hormone that is associated with lower risk of diabetes and heart disease,
according to a recent study.
Fish oil supplements, also called omega 3 fatty acid
capsules, raise levels of adiponectin in the bloodstream.
Adiponectin is an important hormone that has beneficial
effects on metabolic processes like glucose regulation and the modulation of
inflammation. In long-term human studies, higher levels of adiponectin are
associated with lower risks of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.
“While prior animal studies found fish oil increased
circulating adiponectin, whether similar effects apply in humans is not
established,” said the study’s lead author, Jason Wu, PhD, of the Harvard
School of Public Health.
By reviewing evidence from 14 randomized, placebo-controlled
clinical trials, the researchers found that fish oil supplementation may
moderately increase blood level of adiponectin in humans, and these results
support potential benefits of fish oil consumption on glucose control and fat
cell metabolism.”
The findings quantify the potential impact of fish oil on
adiponectin level, and highlight the need to further investigate populations
that may particularly benefit from fish oil supplementation.
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The above story is based on the May
22, 2013 news release by Endocrine Society.
The research has been published online before print in The
Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM):
Wu JHY, Cahill LE, Mozaffarian
D. Effect of Fish Oil on Circulating
Adiponectin: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled
Trials. JCEM. May 23, 2013, doi:
10.1210/jc.2012-3899
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