Research suggests seal oil could help people with Type 1 diabetes

TORONTO, June 13, 2017 – A research team at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre in Toronto has published a paper that suggests seal oil has the potential to help promote nerve regeneration in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

The study found that patients who ingested an omega-3 supplement derived from seal oil twice a day over a 12-month period reported an increase in corneal nerve fibre length. The paper entitled, "The effects of omega-3 supplementation on neuropathy in Type 1 diabetes," was published in the June, 2017 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"Nothing like this has been attempted in humans before," says Dr. Evan Lewis, a neurologist and one of the study's authors. "Results from this trial are a very important step towards a clinical therapy for people with diabetic neuropathy."

Diabetic neuropathy is a form of nerve damage caused by diabetes. Symptoms vary from patient to patient, but can include tingling, numbness, loss of sensation, a feeling of burning in the hands and feet, constant pain and difficulty walking. There are currently no therapies available for patients that stop or reverse its effects.

"This study is the first to show that targeted nutritional invention can stop and reverse small fibre damage," says Dr. Vera Bril, head of the division of Neurology in the Department of Medicine, and Medical Director of the Ellen Prosserman Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases at UHN, and the study's principal investigator. Other members of the research team included Dr. Bruce Perkins of the Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes as well as Dr. Thomas Wolever and Dr. Richard Bazinet, both of the University of Toronto's Department of Nutritional Sciences.

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