Supplements blow for diabetes women
Monday June 28th, 2010
Vitamin supplements and fish oil may not do much to help improve the prospects of women with diabetes, according to two new studies.
Researchers
from Belfast UK found that vitamin supplements do not help women with
type 1 diabetes - which is normally developed in childhood - avoid the
serious blood pressure condition pre-eclampsia and premature birth.
The study, conducted throughout the UK, found that only women showing signs of getting few vitamins through food might benefit from vitamin pills.
The findings were reported to the conference of the American Diabetes Association in Orlando, Florida, at the weekend and also published in The Lancet.
More than 700 women at 25 ante-natal clinics took part in the research and about half took vitamins E and C.
The researchers say women did not suffer ill-effects from taking vitamin supplements.
Researcher Professor Ian Young, of Queen's School of Medicine, Belfast, said: "In principle, the notion that oxidative stress is implicated in the cause and development of pre-eclampsia remains plausible, but the benefit of vitamin supplementation might be limited to women with vitamin depletion; however, this idea needs confirmation."
* A second study reported to the same conference says omega-3 fats - found in fish oil - may not help the heart health of women with type 1 diabetes.
Omega-3 has been widely shown to help prevent heart disease - but the new finding suggests it may not counteract the problems faced by women with diabetes.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, studied some 600 people with diabetes - reporting that overall eating of fish and other omega-3 foods was low.
Some 166 developed heart disease. But while men who ate large amounts of omega-3 were least likely to develop disease, this did not apply to women.
Researcher Dr Tina Costacou said: "Although omega-3 is typically associated with decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, this may not be the case for women who have type 1 diabetes."
Tags: Childbirth and Pregnancy | Diabetes | Diet & Food | Heart Health | North America | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology
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