is it true or was it ever thought that fish oil was not good for type one diabetics?

I am not aware of any well designed clinical trial that has concluded that omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil) is beneficial for people with diabetes. Decades back it was demonstrated that diets with very high intake of omega 3 fatty acids - which lead to nearly disabling gastrointestinal side effects in most every participant - caused a shift in the cell membrane from arachadonic acid to ecosapentenoic acid. A lipo-protein membrane with higher levels of ecosapentenoic acid produces a variant of leukotrienes which may be thought of as defective inflammatory cells. Such diets did provide some symptomatic relief in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis but this approach was never implemented due to the essentially universal side effects. There is no credible evidence that omega 3 fatty acids are good for type 1 diabetes and they may in fact be harmful. High intake of omega 3 fatty acids may lower triglycerides but at the cost of raising LDL cholesterol levels which is not good as cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetes. In addition high intake of omega 3 fatty acids has been linked to bleeding complications the most devastating being a cerebral hemorrhage or bleeding into the brain. The 'ideal' oil if there is such a thing is the monosaturated fat olive oil. If I may be of further assistance please let me know. I wish you the very best of health and in all things may God bless. JR

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For a long time the "experts" thought any FAT was bad for anyone at all, and that included fish oil and olive oil. Anything with any oil, or fats in it was forbidden to anyone with any medical condition.

Lobster, avocados, shrimp, eggs, chicken skin, dark poultry meat, any other fatty fish or animal, and a few other things were on the no-no list. And for a long time that included coffee!

The "experts" have come off that in the very recent past. Now the only thing they keep saying is not for general consumption is red meats such as beef, lamb, game animals, etc. Their reasoning is still faulty, but I won't argue that here and now.

YES, they advised most diabetics, both types, not to use fish oil or cod liver oil or anything like that.

Each Endo and other doctor we see has their own beliefs on these points. Do what appeals to you!

Some people (regardless of having diabetes) have gastrointestinal problems from fish oil (burping, reflux, loose stools, etc.) and they usually go to flaxseed instead. So, unless you have some allergy to seafood, there shouldn't be any problems using fish oil. In fact, I've only read good things about diabetics using it because the its anti-inflammation properties.

that's ridiculous. Raw, unprocessed fish oil has an infinite number of health benefits. Flax is a good source of omega 3 as well, but it is important to get your omega 3's from plants AND animals.