Seal Oil - Research and Development
Diabetes Mellitus is a very common disorder, with an estimated prevalence between 2% and 4% in North America. The complications of diabetes account for 25% of all new cases of end-stage retinal failure and 50% of all lower extremity amputations. In addition, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and diabetic patients account for 10% of all acute care hospital bed/days.

Most common symptoms and signs of diabetes:

- Frequent urination
- Unusual thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Irritability
- Tingling or numbness in the legs, feet or hands
- Frequent infections of the skin, gums, vagina or bladder
- Itchy skin
- Slow healing of cuts and bruises




Major Types of Diabetes

9 out of 10 people with diabetes have Type II diabetes.

Type I Diabetes:
The pancreas produces little or no insulin. Usually occurs in people under forty years of age, and the peak age of onset is between 11 and 13 years of age.


Type II Diabetes:
The pancreas produces insulin, but the body is unable to use it. This type usually occurs in people over 40. Each year, about 200,000 deaths, 400,000 heart attacks, 130,000 strokes, 60,000 amputations, 10,000 new cases of kidney failure require dialysis or transplantation, and 6,000 new cases of blindness result from the same cause - non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). NIDDM also leads to other disabilities, especially nerve damage that often results in impotence, numbness and weakness, or intractable nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. 40% to 90% are overweight, and plasma insulin levels are decreased, but may be within the normal range. It is a disorder characterized by increased blood sugar (dyslipidemia), hypertension and accelerated atherosclerosis and microvascular disease.

Simply put, Type II diabetes is a disorder of metabolism - the way in which the body converts the food you eat into energy. Most of the food you eat is broken down by digestive juices into chemicals, including a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose us the body's main source of energy. After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is available for cells to take in and use or store in fatty tissue for later use. In order for the cells to take in glucose, insulin must be present in your blood. Insulin acts as a "key" that unlocks the "door" on cell surface (membrane) to allow glucose to enter the cells. In Type II diabetes, the cell membrane is resistant to the insulin action. Therefore, the glucose cannot get inside the cells, thereby building glucose in the blood. This is referred to as "high blood sugar" - hyperglycemia. The glucose level in the blood goes above a certain level. The excess glucose flows out from the kidney into the urine.

Over thousands of years, the human body has become very good at converting digested food into fat and storing the fat in cells to use later for energy. This ability to store food as fat was helpful to our ancestors, who often went long periods without food. When food was scarce, their bodies could rely on the stored fat for their energy needs.

For us, the ability to store fat can be a serious problem. In developed countries today, food is abundant and always available. We can choose from a variety of foods, ranging from nutritious, low-fat fresh fruit and vegetables to high-fat, high-calorie snacks and sweets. Many of us choose too many of the high-fat, high calorie foods. In response, our body does what it has learned to do; it efficiently stores the food away as fat. The more efficient our body is in storing fat, the fatter we become from the food we eat.



Recent Advances in Research

Our modern diet has an imbalance in our food intake, consisting of too much of the wrong food. Diabetes is a very old disease - written records date back to 1550 BC. However, until the 20th century, diabetes was fairly rare. Type II diabetes is now widespread in every industrialized country in the world. More than 14 million American have Type II diabetes. Doctors think the reason this form of diabetes is so common today is because increasing numbers of people are eating more, exercising less and becoming overweight.

Free fatty acid availability and glucose ulitilization have been linked to each other by Randles' hypothesis of a "glucose fatty acid cycle" some 30 years ago (Lancet 1963). Interdependence has been suggested to be fundamental to the control of blood glucose and fatty concentration as well as to insulin sensitivity in diabetes. Different classes of fatty acids in our diet play an important role, particularly the Omega 3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, in influencing our health, as well as diabetes.



Recent Articles

Consumption of marine mammal oil and salmon high in Omega 3 fatty acid appears to lower the risk of glucose intolerance, and is a potentially modifiable risk factor for NIDDM in Alaska Natives. A look at the eating habits and blood tests of 666 people over age 40 revealed that those who ate salmon every day had a 50% lower chance of having any glucose intolerance (which include diabetics and pre-diabetics) than those who ate fish less often. The risk dropped even lower (to an 80% reduction) for daily consumption of marine mammal oil, particularly seal oil.
(Adler, et al. Diabetes Care. 1994)

Dietary supplementation of Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids improves insulin sensitivity in Type II diabetes and lowers plasma triglyceride levels.
(Popp-Snijders, et al. 1987)

A direct, positive relationship was found between cellular membrane phospholipid Omega 3 fatty acid content and both metabolic rate and insulin action. Omega 3 fatty acid in a diet supplement has specific implications for the symptoms of insulin resistance.
(David Pan, et al. Australia 1993)

When high amounts of very long-chain Omega 3 fatty acid are ingested, there is a high incorporation of EPA and DHA in membrane phospholipid. By increasing the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the physical characteristics of the membrane are altered. Many membrane proteins are changed in their function by altering the fluidity of this membrane.
(Salem, et al. 1989)

Small doses of marine oil inhibit platelet aggregation, reduce blood pressure and triglyceride level and have an effect on glucose and cholesterol levels in patients with moderately controlled NIDDM. Small quantities of Omega 3 fatty acid are safe and potentially beneficial in NIDDM.
(Axelrod, et al. Boston.)

Long-term effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on diabetic peripheral neuropathy and serum lipids in patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus show a significant decrease in albumin in urine excretion, as well as other diabetic complications, such as neuropathy and microvascular disorder.
(Okuda, Japan. 1996)

Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid studies have been performed in Japan. The results showed:


Diabetes is a chronic disorder of sugar and abnormal lipid content in our bloodstream. It affects our body as a whole. Several organs will show serious effects. These include kidney function impairment causing renal failure, retina damage causing blindness, arteriosclerosis of the heart vessels causing coronary artery disease, as well as affecting the brain causing a stroke, and circulation problems in the lower limbs causing amputation.

In China, we are working with a modified, more refined seal oil for clinical testing for Type II diabetes with excellent results. This oil is slightly concentrated with the Omega 3 PUFA, with proper ratios of EPA, DHA and DPA. This particular formula is very beneficial in the treatment of diabetes, especially Type II diabetes. In addition to taking seal oil for diabetes, we have to make sure our diet is controlled with proper energy intake. Such a diet should include plenty of vegetables to provide fibre and vitamins. Also, exercise is very important. This will promote and assist the muscular cells to utilize the glucose in our blood stream.

By: Dr. Cosmas Ho
Kilbride Medical Clinic
Newfoundland, Canada
September 23, 1998
Chapter IV
Seal Oil
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