Insulin resistance is caused by an impairment of insulin’s action on glucose, protein and fat metabolism, which is associated with adipose tissue. Excessive visceral and subcutaneous fat causes adipocyte dysfunction which leads to inflammation and as a result causes a decrease in adiponectin and an increase in leptin levels.
According to a new review published in Nutrition Research, researchers investigated the effects omega-3 fatty acids on leptin and adiponectin levels.
Mostly all immune cells contain leptin receptors indicating their role in the immune response Leptin has been shown to facilitate the production of the proinflammatory cytokines that have been associated with chronic systemic inflammation in aging.
Adiponectin is a protein hormone that mediates numerous metabolic processes, such as glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, and mitigating inflammation. It has an inverse relationship with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
This review consisted of 31 studies including 12 to 1081 participants. Twenty-nine studies used parallel designs and the remaining studies used a crossover design and a 2 ×2 factorial design. Double blinding occurred in 53% of the studies. Five studies were single-blinded and nine studies did not implement blinding. The research team included all studies on omega-3 fatty acid supplementation that reported leptin, adiponectin, or leptin/adiponectin ratio.
As a result, 18 studies demonstrated lower leptin or higher adiponectin levels from omega-3 fatty acid supplementation with 9 showing statistically significant differences. Supplementation doses and duration varied among the studies. In nine studies reporting significantly lower leptin or higher adiponectin levels the omega-3 fatty acid dosage was 520 mg to 4.2 grams day between 4 to 24 weeks in duration.
Essential fatty acids should be consumed in our diets for overall health, but most individuals with insulin resistance are deficient. Fish oils improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation. Other dietary supplements that have been shown to be effective for effecting adiponectin and inflammation include tocotrienols, curcumin, and quercetin.
By Michael Jurgelewicz, DC, DACBN, DCBCN, CNS
New review investigates the role of resveratrol in MCI and AD
Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) are a group of conditions that cause mild cognitive impairment…
New study demonstrates the gut brain relationships with irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be debilitating condition consisting of cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas,…
Low magnesium associated with coronary artery calcification
Magnesium is probably the greatest predictor of all aspects of heart disease. Approximately more than 50% of Americans…
New study shows prediabetes is ignored by primary care physicians
According to a study published 3 days ago in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, less than 25% of…
New review demonstrates the efficacy of probiotics in multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating inflammatory, demyelinating, and autoimmune disease of the central…
CoQ10’s effects on inflammatory markers in chronic inflammatory states
CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant and vitamin-like nutrient that provides protective properties against oxidative…
Is it Really Acid Reflux?
Many patients complain of heartburn and as a result, proton pump inhibitors are prescribed to reduce their body’s…
High doses of EPA for depression according to new study
Depression is a major cause of disease burden worldwide which affects approximately 350 million people. Fish oil…
What are natural treatments for osteoporosis?
Instead of jumping on the bandwagon like so many people do today and assume that taking calcium, Fosamax and Hormone…