Influence of a cod liver oil diet in diabetics type I on fatty acid patterns and platelet aggregation

The influence of an eicosapentaenoic acid rich diet containing only 6,8 g cod liver oil daily for 2 weeks in 20 type I diabetics on fatty acid pattern in serum, platelet aggregation and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in serum were studied. There were increases in eicosapentaenoic acid portions in triglycerides, cholesterol esters and phospholipids of serum. This was associated with an inhibition of the platelet hyperaggregation, whereas platelet hyporeactivity is shifted to normal. Hyperreactivity of platelets from diabetics may be caused by enhanced TXA2 formation in comparison to healthy humans (1). On the other hand, diets rich in eicosapentaenoic acid inhibit platelet aggregation in healthy Volunteers (2,3). Therefore we investigated the dietary effect of relatively low doses of cod liver oil in diabetics type I on the eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid balance.