ARS | Publication request: Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Insulin Resistance

Submitted to: Elsevier
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: April 11, 2011
Publication Date: December 3, 2012
Citation: Fedor, D.M., Kelley, D.S. 2012. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Insulin Resistance. In: Watson, R.R., Preedy, V.R., editors. Bioactive Food as Dietary Interventions for Diabetes. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, Elsevier. pp 183-194.

Technical Abstract: We have reviewed results from published studies regarding the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake on insulin resistance (IR) in human subjects. Evidence has been gathered from epidemiological, cross-sectional and interventions studies. Increased intake of trans fatty acids (TFA) increased IR while the effects of n-6 and n-3 PUFA varied. We only summarize the results from studies with TFA, n-6 PUFA, and of n-3 PUFA in diabetic subjects, and discuss in details the results from intervention studies with n-3 PUFA in non-diabetic subjects. Eight out of 18 published intervention studies indicated a decrease in IR with increased n-3 PUFA intake, while 8 showed no change, and two found a deterioration of IR after n-3 PUFA. We also discuss the reasons for the inconsistencies between the results from different studies.