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can fish oil capsules help lower bad cholesterol for a diabetic?

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Posted 5/11/2011 5:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hi! I've been recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I am a mother of two and have been reading up a lot on this chronic illness. I want to take control of my condition and not let me down so I've been searching for alternative meds that can help control my high cholesterol.

Is it true that fish oil or omega 3 fatty acids can help bring down my LDL levels?

Help! Thanks!
Posted 5/11/2011 9:03 AM (GMT 0)
I have seen reports that say yes and others that say no. In the end I suppose your guess is as good as mine. They won't or shouldn't hurt you though if you want to give them a try for a few months and see what happens.

At this stage though getting good control over your diabetes may do as much if not more good that any medication or supplements will do. Bad cholesterol seems to go hand in hand with bad sugar control.
Posted 5/11/2011 12:20 PM (GMT 0)
As Jim says, I don't think the fish oil will definitely help or hurt.  If you have high cholesterol, what has your doctor suggested?  Are you on diabetes meds?

Kathie, you've posted about taking fish oil capsules in five different forums here after saying you have heard they can improve that particular condition.  I took one of those posts out because it has a link to a site selling those products. 

Please do not put any links to sites that sell products.  This is considered spam.

Posted 5/12/2011 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Fish oil may or may not lower LDL cholesterol but it will definitely lower triglycerides, and lower them very effectively. Triglycerides are as bad as LDL cholesterol. Also avoiding sugar should help since the body converts excess sugar to triglycerides.

You guys may know better than I but I thought that statins, that lower bad cholesterol, may also increase blood sugar. Is this true?

Big Pharma took advantage of the benefits of fish oil by creating prescription Lovaza. Supposedly higher in purity but definitely more expensive.

You can try to cut back on LDL by avoiding saturated and trans fat foods. It is just as effective for LDL as low carb diet is for lowering blood sugar.
Posted 5/12/2011 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
I didn't know there was a possible connection between statins and elevated blood sugar but when I Googled it, several sites mentioned it.  Hard to know what to think!  Of course maybe not everyone will have the same reaction, but I think we really need to be aware of these reactions.
Posted 5/12/2011 4:08 AM (GMT 0)

Jim1969 said...
I have seen reports that say yes and others that say no. In the end I suppose your guess is as good as mine. They won't or shouldn't hurt you though if you want to give them a try for a few months and see what happens.

At this stage though getting good control over your diabetes may do as much if not more good that any medication or supplements will do. Bad cholesterol seems to go hand in hand with bad sugar control.

yes, i suppose it won't hurt to try but i would have to discuss it with my doctor first. my sister is an expat in new zealand and sent me some when she heard that i have diabetes.

and yes, from what i learned-- high blood glucose can make the blood viscous or more sticky (thick) that's why the blood pressure shoots up (difficulty of the blood to go through our arteries, requiring higher pressure). or something like that.

Post Edited By Moderator (LanieG) : 5/16/2011 7:32:15 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/12/2011 4:10 AM (GMT 0)

BabeintheWoods said...
Fish oil may or may not lower LDL cholesterol but it will definitely lower triglycerides, and lower them very effectively. Triglycerides are as bad as LDL cholesterol. Also avoiding sugar should help since the body converts excess sugar to triglycerides.

You guys may know better than I but I thought that statins, that lower bad cholesterol, may also increase blood sugar. Is this true?

Big Pharma took advantage of the benefits of fish oil by creating prescription Lovaza. Supposedly higher in purity but definitely more expensive.

You can try to cut back on LDL by avoiding saturated and trans fat foods. It is just as effective for LDL as low carb diet is for lowering blood sugar.

thanks for the thoughts! yes i should cut back on simple sugar and start eating complex carbs. ugh it is quite an adjustment process...i would have to change my lifestyle and cut on carbs and sugar. to think that i have such a sweet tooth...
Posted 5/12/2011 4:28 AM (GMT 0)

LanieG said...
As Jim says, I don't think the fish oil will definitely help or hurt. If you have high cholesterol, what has your doctor suggested? Are you on diabetes meds?


Kathie, you've posted about taking fish oil capsules in five different forums here after saying you have heard they can improve that particular condition. I took one of those posts out because it has a link to a site selling those products.



Please do not put any links to sites that sell products. This is considered spam.

oops! i'm sorry! i guess i got too excited about discovering alternative meds. :(
Posted 5/12/2011 11:55 AM (GMT 0)
Kathie, are you on diabetes medication?  What are your blood sugar readings and what do you eat during the day?
Posted 5/12/2011 12:23 PM (GMT 0)
i would have to change my lifestyle and cut on carbs and sugar. to think that i have such a sweet tooth...

I have heard from more than one source that an excellent way to control your sweet tooth is to take l-glutamine. Glutamine is a natural amino acid. It is also beneficial for repairing intestinal tissue which is why people like me with gastro problems are aware of it.
Posted 5/13/2011 4:16 AM (GMT 0)

LanieG said...
Kathie, are you on diabetes medication? What are your blood sugar readings and what do you eat during the day?

for now i am taking glucophage. during the day i usually have cereal and fruit in the morning plus coffee, a sandwich for lunch and then dessert (bad, i know!), and it usually depends on what i am in the mood for during dinner.

i should really cut down on sugar in my black coffee. i have at least three mugs a day (heavy on sugar) at work and i know it just makes everything worse but how else am i going to stay awake!

my mother is a diabetic too, both on glucophage and on insulin shots. yeowch!
Posted 5/13/2011 12:11 PM (GMT 0)
Kathie, it's not just the sugar it's all the carbs you're eating.  Cereal, bread in the sandwich, fruit, dessert - all of those are driving your blood sugar high.  Have you read the stickies at the top of our forum?  Read What Makes Our Blood Sugar Rise.  If you change your eating plan, you will have better control of your blood sugar and possibly lower your meds.  Talk it over with your doctor.
Posted 5/13/2011 5:42 PM (GMT 0)
My husbands doctor prescribed Lovaza to lower the trigliserides. ( spelling )  Don" know if it is doing any better than the plain fish oil.  It is very, very expensive.
Posted 5/13/2011 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
My doctor put me on four 1000mg fish oil capsules a day for my triglycerides. Raving success! I take 2 in the am and 2 in the pm.
Posted 5/16/2011 4:09 AM (GMT 0)

LanieG said...
Kathie, it's not just the sugar it's all the carbs you're eating. Cereal, bread in the sandwich, fruit, dessert - all of those are driving your blood sugar high. Have you read the stickies at the top of our forum? Read What Makes Our Blood Sugar Rise. If you change your eating plan, you will have better control of your blood sugar and possibly lower your meds. Talk it over with your doctor.

hi lanie!

thank you! i haven't read the stickies yet but i will do that. it's kind of hard to learn the ropes of dealing with DM and this board is helping me a whole lot.
Posted 5/16/2011 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
Kathie, so many health issues are just treated with meds because there may be no other more effective means, but with diabetes our eating plan and lifestyle can actually affect our blood sugar.  This is true for all types of diabetes.  If you cut down or cut out the obvious carbs (like sugar, cereal, bread, pasta, etc.) your blood sugar will be lower.  Doing some sort of regular, sustained exercise can also help.  You need to be committed to your health by being in charge of your lifestyle.  You can do it.
Posted 5/16/2011 11:22 PM (GMT 0)
thank you for your kind thoughts. :)
Posted 5/17/2011 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
Take fish oil.....Take pharmacutical fish oil.  Read the book by Beary Sears  THE ZONE.  My mother with ALZ 4 took liguid mega doses and really did better for a short time but... gave my dad a lifetime....  The nurses at the home said they thought about taking a swig from the bottle cause my mom was more alert.  bb
Posted 8/24/2011 10:22 PM (GMT 0)

Fish Oil is the answer.  It has to be pharma...grade.  Go to the library and get Berry Sears book.  I think if I started my mom on it or anyone with problems she would of had a better or longer good days.  Please get the book go to the ALZ. chapter.  I don't fall for anything but I did this because my boyfriend lived in THE ZONE and begged me to try the fish oil.  I ordered it from Sears website.  Not cheap and if they are in a nursing home etc. you have to get the OK from your doctor. Maybe you can find a generic, but read what Sears wrote about fish oil.   Janet 

Posted 8/24/2011 10:36 PM (GMT 0)
I did not not tell you that my mom got better during ALZ stage 4.  The nurses commented they thought about taking a swig out of the bottle.  My mom needed mega doses of liquid fish oil, not a few pills, that I could only get from Beary Sears.  The dose he recommended was like four tablespoons a day.  The nurses said it stunk so bad,but they saw an improvement in my mom.  I did this so my dad I hoped would get alittle more quality time from his wife....and it worked. Just telling my story.  I now take fish oil in capsules every day.  My lips seem to be puckering like a fish mouth but as long as I'm healthy So what.  I'm joking!

Janet

Posted 8/29/2011 12:16 PM (GMT 0)
Some recent studies have shown that eating a handful or two of nuts every day can also do positive things for your cholesterol numbers.

On a final note, getting and keeping your blood sugar under control will allow for an accurate reading on what your cholesterol truly is. High blood sugar levels can screw with those numbers making them appear higher than what they really are, especially the triglycerides.
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