This fish contains nutrients that can prevent type 2 diabetes and diminish heart disease risk.
Eating sardines at least twice a week can protect people with prediabetes against developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Oily fish, including sardines, are excellent sources of healthy fats called omega-3 fatty acids which reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
On top of the protective effect against cardiovascular disease, consuming a diet rich in sardines help prevents T2D.
According to a study, sardines contain high quantities of nutrients such as taurine, vitamin D, calcium, fluorine, and omega 3 (EPA and DHA) that can stop or delay the development of T2D.
Taurine is a semi-essential amino acid, abundant in oily fish and has a hypoglycemic effect (lowers blood sugar).
Dr Diana Díaz-Rizzolo, the study’s first author, said:
“Not only are sardines reasonably priced and easy to find, but they are safe and help to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
This is a huge scientific discovery.
It is easy to recommend this food during medical check-ups, and it is widely accepted by the population.”
Two portions of sardines
For this study, 152 adults with prediabetes (blood glucose levels between 100-124 mg/dl) followed a T2D-prevention nutritional program for a year.
They were divided into two groups with the same diet but only the sardine group had 200 grams of sardines every week (two cans of sardines in olive oil).
They were asked to consume sardines with bones and skin as these contain good amounts of calcium and vitamin D.
After one year, 22 percent of participants in the control group developed diabetes whereas only 8 percent in the sardines group remained extremely vulnerable to the disease.
The sardine group also had increased “good” cholesterol (HDL), reduced triglycerides, reduced blood pressure, decreased insulin resistance index and increased adiponectin (a protein hormone important for the breakdown of glucose and fat).
Dr Díaz-Rizzolo said:
“As we get older, restrictive diets (in terms of calories or food groups) can help to prevent the onset of diabetes.
However, the results lead us to believe that we could obtain an equally significant preventive effect in the younger population.”
Eating fish not taking supplements
Regularly eating sardines appears to have the protective effect against diabetes, but this is not true for dietary supplements.
Our body obtains taurine, omega-3, calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients from a healthy balanced diet that includes oily fish, but supplementation of these micronutrients won’t have the same effect.
Dr Díaz-Rizzolo explained:
“Nutrients can play an essential role in the prevention and treatment of many different pathologies, but their effect is usually caused by the synergy that exists between them and the food that they are contained in.
Sardines will therefore have a protective element because they are rich in the aforementioned nutrients, whereas nutrients taken in isolation in the form of supplements won’t work to the same extent.”
The study was published in the journal Clinical Nutrition (Díaz-Rizzolo et al., 2021).
