Vegetable Fat Linked with Better Blood Sugar Control ~ Replacing "Bad" Fat with "Good" Fat May Lower Diabetes Risk

To prevent falling victim to diabetes as you grow older, it pays to be fat-conscious. This means more than fighting the "battle of the bulge," though. Being aware of the kinds of fat you eat is critical as well. Increasing evidence suggests that eating more "good" fats and fewer "bad" fats can help improve insulin function and blood sugar control.

Recently, the Iowa Women's Health Study examined the relationship between dietary fatty acids and type 2 diabetes in a cohort of over 35,000 middle-aged and older women. The women were between the ages of 55 and 69 and none had diabetes at the onset of the study. Using detailed questionnaires, they provided information about their dietary fat intakes and any subsequent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

The study found that women with the highest intake of vegetable fat had a 22% lower rate of developing diabetes in the 11-year follow-up period. Moreover, by substituting polyunsaturated fats for saturated fats, the rate of diabetes was reduced by an average of 16%, independent of other factors that affect risk, including obesity, exercise, smoking, dietary fiber, and magnesium intake.

Sources of vegetable fat include certain fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and oils. This fat often contains "the combination of several potentially healthful fat subtypes including polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids…" the researchers observed.

Increased consumption of animal fat, meat, and cholesterol were all associated with a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes.

This and other recent studies provide "evidence confirming a significant role of dietary composition in determining the development of type 2 diabetes, independent of obesity," writes Dr. Edith J.M. Feskens of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands in a later editorial.

To reduce risk, people need to eat more dietary fiber, replace saturated fats with vegetable fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated), and reduce total energy intake (relative to energy expended through exercise), Dr. Feskens advises.

Sources:
Feskens EJM. Can diabetes be prevented by vegetable fat? [editorial] Diabetes Care 2001;24(9):1517-1518.
Meyer KA, Kushi LH, Jacobs DR, Folsom AR. Dietary fat and incidence of type 2 diabetes in older Iowa women. Diabetes Care 2001;24(8):1528-1535.

© 2001 Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory