Saturated Fatty Acids Impact on Type 2 Diabetes Varies

Saturated fatty acids could be linked to both an increased and decreased risk of manifesting symptoms of type 2 diabetes, according to a recent study.

In the past, experts have thought there may be an association between all saturated fat consumption and type 2 diabetes, despite a lack of clear evidence.

For the EPIC-InterAct Study, researchers evaluated the blood levels of 9 different types of saturated fatty acids and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes using a method of high-speed blood analysis.
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The 12,403 participants were selected from a larger group of 340,234 adults from 8 various European countries.

The results showed that certain saturated fatty acids with an even number of carbon atoms (14:0, 16:0, 18:0) yielded a greater risk of type 2 diabetes. In contrast, there was a lower risk associated in saturated fatty acids with an odd number of carbon atoms (15:0, 17:0).

“Our findings provide strong evidence that individual saturated fatty acids are not all the same. The challenge we face now is to work out how the levels of these fatty acids in our blood correspond to the different foods we eat,” said Nita Forouhi, PhD, one of the study’s authors and researchers at the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge.

“Our research could help trigger new directions in experimental studies and basic research so we can better understand the biology,” she said.

Foriuhi and colleagues further noted that the odd-chain saturated fatty acids are inherent markers of dairy fat consumption, which suggested that dairy products may produce a protective effect against type 2 diabetes development.

The complete study is published in the July issue of The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

-Michelle Canales

References:

Forouhi NG, Koulman A, Sharp SJ, et al. Differences in the prospective association between individual plasma phospholipid saturated fatty acids and incident type 2 diabetes: the EPIC-InterAct case-cohort study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2014 August [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(14)70146-9.

Medical Research Council. Not all saturated fatty acids are the same in relation to type 2 diabetes risk. August 6, 2014. www.mrc.ac.uk/news-events/news/not-all-saturated-fatty-acids-are-the-same-in-relation-to-type-2-diabetes-risk/. Accessed August 6, 2014.