Dairy-derived acids shown to ward off Type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Harvard University have published a study showing that a group of fatty acids called trans-palmitoleate appears to be connected with decreased risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Published in the latest issue of the Journal ‘The Annals of Modern Medicine’, the study suggested the need for more research to examine connections between circulating trans-palmitoleate and lower insulin resistance, presence of atherogenic dyslipidemia, and incident diabetes.

The researchers looked at the relationship between plasma phospholipid trans-palmitoleate and metabolic risk factors and incident type 2 diabetes among 3736 American adults taking part in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS).

“Our findings may explain previously observed metabolic benefits of dairy consumption and support the need for detailed further experimental and clinical investigation,” said the authors.

Trans-palmitoleate acid is a fatty acid derived mainly from dairy consumption.

The report’s authors noted that while fatty acids are powerful modulators of physiologic function, the effects of many individual fatty acids are not well understood. Animal experiments have, however, shown that circulating palmitoleic acid, which arises out of endogenous fat synthesis, may directly regulate and protect against insulin resistance and metabolic dysregulation.

The results of human studies have been less conclusive, due in large part to varying lifestyle factors as well as inconsistent tissue sampling.

Further, the effects of fatty acids on metabolic outcomes are complex and may be influenced by such factors as whether they are endogenously produced or obtained exogenously from specific dietary sources.

The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.