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Fish oil benefits for type 2 diabetes: Fish oil, a supplement often associated with heart health, may have a surprising connection to insulin resistance, particularly in a form of type 2 diabetes that affects people who are not obese.A study published in 'Nutr... Fish oil benefits for type 2 diabetes: Fish oil, a supplement often associated with heart health, may have a surprising connection to insulin resistance, particularly in a form of type 2 diabetes that affects people who are not obese.A study published in 'Nutrients' found that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil helped reduce insulin resistance and improve glucose tolerance in non-obese rats with a diabetes-like metabolic condition, as per a report. The research, funded by FAPESP, focused on Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, a widely used animal model for studying non-obese type 2 diabetes.Why Researchers Looked Beyond ObesityType 2 diabetes is commonly linked to obesity, but not everyone with the disease is overweight. Researchers estimate that between 10% and 20% of people with type 2 diabetes worldwide are not obese, suggesting that different biological mechanisms may be involved, as per a Science Daily report.While fish oil supplements are frequently used by people with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, scientists know far less about how omega-3 fatty acids affect insulin resistance when obesity is not part of the equation.That question led researchers to investigate whether fish oil could help improve metabolic health in a non-obese diabetes model.131444745Fish Oil Produced Multiple ImprovementsDuring the study, researchers supplemented the rats with fish oil three times a week for eight weeks.By the end of the experiment, the animals showed:Lower insulin resistanceImproved blood sugar controlReduced inflammatory markersLower total cholesterolLower LDL ( bad ) cholesterolLower triglyceride levelsAlthough the findings came from animal research and cannot be directly applied to humans, they pointed to inflammation as a possible driver of insulin resistance even in the absence of obesity.The Hidden Link Between Inflammation and DiabetesResearchers found that fish oil appeared to influence the immune system in a way that reduced inflammation.According to Rui Curi, Director of Butantan Institute’s Education Center and coordinator of the study, the supplementation changed the profile of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, from a pro-inflammatory state to an anti-inflammatory state, as per the Science Daily report.The researchers observed that non-obese rats with insulin resistance showed inflammatory patterns similar to those seen in obesity-related diabetes. Previous studies by the team had already identified increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in immune cells from these animals.The new findings suggested that fish oil could help reverse some of those changes.131443697How Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Be WorkingThe study found that fish oil supplementation reduced inflammatory immune cells known as Th1 and Th17 cells while increasing regulatory T-cells, or Tregs, which have anti-inflammatory properties.Researchers believe this shift may have helped reduce insulin resistance in the animals.According to study author Tiago Bertola Lobato, omega-3 fatty acids appeared to move lymphocytes away from a pro-inflammatory state and toward an anti-inflammatory one, potentially triggering improvements in insulin sensitivity, as per the Science