Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : July 13, 2018 6:36 PM IST
Omega-3 fatty acid can reduce the odds of heart attack.
There is a lot said about the benefits of cod liver oil supplementation and how it protects the heart from various ailments. Cod liver oil supplements have a protective effect on the heart and keep the arteries clean and boost circulation. However, some people also believe that it can be beneficial for diabetics too. It is a known fact that people who suffer from diabetes are also at risk of developing heart diseases. In fact, diabetes increases the chances of getting any kind of cardiovascular disease by two folds. So, it is only justified if we look for solutions that can help to protect the heart from falling prey to any kind of heart ailments due to the increase in sugar levels.
Hypertriglyceridemia is a condition common to most diabetics, which simply means there are elevated triglycerides in the body. Elevated triglycerides may contribute to pancreatitis or hardening of the arteries. This increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease. Most often, there are no symptoms of having elevated triglycerides. A study published in the journal Diabetes Care explored the relationship between fish oil supplementation and triglycerides levels in a diabetic and found out that it could effectively lower the levels and was beneficial in a number of ways.
While the study concluded that there was no effect of the HBA1c levels in a diabetic (blood sugar reading taken over three months) after continuous consumption of fish oil supplementation but it did lower triglycerides by 30 per cent. So experts believed that fish oil supplementation might help in treating dyslipidemia or lipid metabolism. dyslipidemia can lead to clogged arteries (atherosclerosis) and heart attacks, stroke or other circulatory concerns, in diabetics. The chances can increase if one is a smoker.
Another study done in 2001 tried to explore the benefits of fish oil supplementation for diabetics and found that dietary fish oils reduced triglyceride levels, but increased LDL or bad cholesterol levels. The new study took into consideration eighteen trials including 823 participants followed for a mean of 12 weeks were included. Doses of fish oil ranged from 3 to 18 g/day were given to the participants. At the end of the study, there was no statistically significant effect observed on fasting glucose, HbA1c, total or HDL cholesterol. The triglyceride lowering effect and the elevation in LDL cholesterol were most marked in those trials. However, no adverse effects of the intervention were reported.
Should you try it?
Even if you are suffering from dyslipidemia where your triglyceride levels are high it is better to talk to your doctor before taking the pills. If it increases your cholesterol levels you might be putting your heart at risk again. So, never buy cod liver oil or other fish oil supplementation to improve your heart health if you are a diabetic. You might end up doing more harm than good. Speak to your doctor before buying a pack.
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1: Friedberg CE, Janssen MJ, Heine RJ, Grobbee DE. Fish oil and glycemic control in diabetes. A meta-analysis. Diabetes Care. 1998 Apr;21(4):494-500. PubMed PMID: 9571330.
1: Farmer A, Montori V, Dinneen S, Clar C. Fish oil in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;(3):CD003205. Review. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(1):CD003205. PubMed PMID: 11687050.
