In animal and in vitro studies, ALA has demonstrated anti-diabetic effects in a number of ways, including modulating insulin signaling, modulating glucose metabolism, and improving insulin resistance by reducing triglycerides in the liver and lowering systemic inflammation.[1][2] However, human clinical trials have not shown much promise, and ALA does not seem to have an impact on the risk of type 2 diabetes or glycemic control in general.
A 2022 meta-analysis of RCTs found that higher intakes of ALA had no effect on the incidence of diagnoses of type 2 diabetes (for those healthy at baseline), or on markers of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) or glycemic control (fasting glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin).[3] Similarly, when just looking at people with type 2 diabetes, a 2017 meta-analysis of RCTs found that ALA had a neutral effect on glycemic control.[4]
References
- ^Yuan Q, Xie F, Huang W, Hu M, Yan Q, Chen Z, Zheng Y, Liu LThe review of alpha-linolenic acid: Sources, metabolism, and pharmacology.Phytother Res.(2022-Jan)
- ^Wang Q, Wang XThe Effect of Plant-Derived Low-Ratio Linoleic Acid/α-Linolenic Acid on Markers of Glucose Controls: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Int J Mol Sci.(2023-Sep-21)
- ^Brown TJ, Brainard J, Song F, Wang X, Abdelhamid A, Hooper L,Omega-3, omega-6, and total dietary polyunsaturated fat for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.BMJ.(2019-Aug-21)
- ^Jovanovski E, Li D, Thanh Ho HV, Djedovic V, Ruiz Marques AC, Shishtar E, Mejia SB, Sievenpiper JL, de Souza RJ, Duvnjak L, Vuksan VThe effect of alpha-linolenic acid on glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.Medicine (Baltimore).(2017-May)