High Blood Sugar

According to some studies, supplementing with high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids can lead to an increase in blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

For instance, a small study found that taking 8 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily caused type 2 diabetics' blood sugar levels to rise by 22% over the course of an eight-week period. This is because high amounts of long-term blood sugar can be caused by high dosages of omega-3 fatty acids, which can increase the production of glucose. Other studies, however, have shown contradicting results, which indicate that only very high dosages have an effect on blood sugar. In fact, another analysis of 20 studies found that type 2 diabetics' blood sugar levels were unaffected by daily doses of up to 3.9 grams of EPA and 3.7 grams of DHA, the two main forms of omega-3 fatty acids.