Hypothesis: Is the Omega-3 PUFA Content of Milk Related to Type 1 Diabetes?

Abstract

AbstractThe incidence of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) has been increasing over the past 50 years. The geographical variation in the incidence of T1D varies 400 fold from a low rate in China to a very high incidence in Finland, Sardinia and Yemenite Jews in Israel. The reason behind these epidemiologic findings is unclear at this time and further elucidating the factors related to this intriguing epidemiology of T1D can help us better understand certain risk factors, the pathogenesis of the disease, and help reduce the incidence of T1D. We hypothesize that the variation of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of cow’s milk and human breast milk may play a very important role in the development of Type 1 Diabetes in genetically predisposed individuals and may also be an important confounder in many previously published and ongoing studies. Interestingly, the amount of omega 3 fatty acids in cow’s milk and human breast milk has been shown to vary widely depending on the diet of the cows and nursing mothers. This hypothesis could possibly help explain the conflicting results from various studies regarding cow’s milk exposure, breastfeeding and T1D and may also help explain some of the findings related to other environmental risk factors for the development of T1D through the beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids on this autoimmune disease.