Study Ties Intake of High-Fat Diary Products to Lower Type-2 Diabetes Risk

Researchers have found that intake of high-fat dairy products can reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

Type-2 diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, occurs when the body fails to use insulin properly. It is the most common form of diabetes. This type of diabetes is known to run in families, but how it is inherited is not known. In a new finding, the researchers at the Lund University identified a diet that helps slash the risk of developing diabetes.

People can slash the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by 23 percent by consuming more high-fat dairy products i.e. 8 or more portions of whole milk, cream and butter, per day. According to the study lead, Dr. Ulrika Ericson, the intake of dietary fats might affect the metabolism of glucose as well as insulin sensitivity and might play a key role in the development of type-2 diabetes (T2D).

Previous researches have highlighted that switching saturated fat with mono-saturated and polyunsaturated fats might benefit in the prevention of T2D. For this, they have revealed plant sources as the best option in comparison to animal sources. Studies have shown that consumption of red meat and other meat products is known to up the risk of T2D. Simultaneously, studies have also shown that high intake of dairy products offer a protective benefit.

In the current study, the researchers looked at the intake of main dietary fat sources, according to fat content and their link with the risk of developing T2D. They looked at 26,930 people, among which 60 percent were women, aged 45-74 years. The participants were a part of the Malmo diet and Cancer cohort. They retrieved the dietary data with a diet history method. The subjects were followed for 14 years during which 2860 cases of T2D were identified. To estimate the hazard ratio of diabetes in quintiles of energy, they used modelling.

Intake of high-fat dairy products was linked to 23 percent lower rate of T2D. Increased intake of cream cut the risk by 15 percent, while high fat fermented milk dropped the risk by 20 percent. However, there was no link between intake of low-fat dairy product and risk of developing T2D.

Dr Ericson said: "Our observations may contribute to clarifying previous findings regarding dietary fats and their food sources in relation to T2D. The decreased risk at high intakes of high- fat dairy products, but not of low-fat dairy products, indicate that dairy fat, at least partly, explains observed protective associations between dairy intake and T2D. Meat intake was associated with increased risk of developing diabetes regardless of fat content."

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).