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Fish oil and probiotics improve glucose and lipid metabolism in diabetes. Both factors play an important role in the progression and severity of the disease.
A new study by experts at the Geriatric Diseases Institute of Chengdu in China examined the effectiveness of fish oil and probiotic supplements in improving glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes. The results are published in the journal “Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome”.
Influence of glucose and lipid metabolism
The researchers explain that abnormalities in glucose and lipid metabolism contribute to the progression and worsening of the disease in diabetes. The question arose here as to whether fish oil and probiotics can be used to improve glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes.
To clarify this, the team conducted a comprehensive analysis of randomized controlled trials in the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases. In their statistical analysis, the researchers focused on, among other things, glycated hemoglobin, insulin resistance, blood lipid profile and total cholesterol.
Inflammatory markers (e.g. tumor necrosis factor-α or TNF-α and adipocytokines such as leptin and adiponectin) served as further outcome indicators. In total, the experts evaluated the results of 60 studies with 3,845 participants with type 2 diabetes.
Probiotics reduce insulin resistance
Probiotics such as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus and Propionibacterium were more effective than fish oil at lowering the HOMA index, which is used to estimate insulin resistance, with Bifidobacterium being associated with the highest effectiveness in lowering HbA1c, the team reports.
Lowering blood lipid levels through fish oil
However, in terms of lipid metabolism, fish oil was more effective than probiotics and reduced the blood lipid profile and total cholesterol more. In addition, fish oil also outperformed probiotics in lowering inflammatory markers such as TNF-α and leptin and led to a greater increase in adiponectin levels, the experts add.
The new research complements a previous study with conflicting results. A few years ago, this showed that taking fish oil was of no benefit for type 2 diabetes, but this seems to have been refuted by the current results.
The researchers concluded from the new results that fish oil is more effective than probiotics in regulating lipid metabolism in people with type 2 diabetes, but that probiotics are more effective than fish oil in regulating glucose metabolism, with Bifidobacterium in particular having a higher effectiveness in this Lowering blood sugar levels was associated. (as)