Whole-Fat Dairy Products May Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk

New research suggests that whole-fat dairy products generally shunned by health experts contain a fatty acid that may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Whole-fat dairy products contain a natural substance. Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health have identified the compound, trans-palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid found in milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter. Circulating palmitoleic acid, in the cis-form, is found naturally in the human body, but the trans-form is not produced by us and only comes from the diet. Whole milk has more trans-palmitoleic acid than 2 percent milk and 2 percent milk has more of this fatty acid than does skim milk. One study shows that individuals with high blood levels of trans-palmitoleic acid have a 62 percent lower chance of developing diabetes than individuals with the lowest levels of the same fatty acid. The study was conducted on 3,700 individuals, who were over the age of sixty-five at the time.
Baseline assessments included physical examination, diagnostic testing, and questionnaires about health status, and laboratory evaluation that included measurement of 45 different fatty acids. Study participants were followed for 10 years, including annual clinic visits and interim telephone calls. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of trans-palmitoleic acid, as well as cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein and glucose levels. Participants also provided information on their usual diets.
People with higher levels of trans-palmitoleic acid had slightly less fat on their bodies, according to the study. They also had higher "good" cholesterol levels and lower overall cholesterol levels. They had lower levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. And they showed evidence of lower levels of insulin resistance, according to the study. Most significantly, however, those with higher trans-palmitoleic acid levels had lower odds of developing type 2 diabetes. Those with the highest levels of trans-palmitoleic acid reduced their odds of type 2 diabetes by nearly two-thirds....

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