Nutrition & DietOmega-3 Fish Oil Reduces Insulin Resistance Even Without Obesity
A Brazilian study published in Nutrients found that omega-3 fish oil supplementation reduced insulin resistance and improved blood sugar control in non-obese diabetic rats. Researchers used Goto-Kakizaki rats — a standard animal model for non-obese type 2 diabetes — and gave them fish oil three times weekly for eight weeks. The results showed lower blood glucose, reduced LDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and less inflammation. Critically, the mechanism involved shifting immune cells called lymphocytes from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory state. This matters because 10–20% of people with type 2 diabetes worldwide are not obese, and their disease pathways are poorly understood. While the findings are preclinical and cannot yet be applied directly to humans, they open a new avenue for using omega-3s to target inflammation-driven insulin resistance independent of obesity.
