Trans Fats, NOT Saturated Fats, Increase Diabetes Risk

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Trans Fats, NOT Saturated Fats, Increase Diabetes Risk

http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/16/diabetes.htm

Researchers report that the type of fat found in

cookies

cakes

and other processed foods

can raise a woman's risk of diabetes, while polyunsaturated fat in certain

types of fish and vegetable oils appears to lower the risk.

Substituting foods rich in trans fat with those that contain

polyunsaturated fat could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 40%.

Total fat and saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid intakes are not

importantly associated with risk of type 2 diabetes in women but dietary

trans fatty acids increase and dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce

the risk.

According to the report, Americans consume about 3% of total calories from

trans fat, which is produced when liquid fat such as oil is processed in

order to make it solid at room temperature.

Margarine, for example, is a major source of trans fatty acids.

Investigators reviewed medical and dietary data from more than 84,000 women

who did not have diabetes, heart disease or cancer when the study began in

1980. Results show that intake of total fat, saturated fat and

monounsaturated fat found in nuts, seeds and avocados did not influence

diabetes risk.

But a 2% increase in calories from trans fatty acids raised the risk by 39%

and a 5% increase in calories from polyunsaturated fat lowered the risk by 37%.

Patients with type 2 diabetes do not respond to insulin, the hormone that

clears the blood of sugar after a meal and deposits it into cells

throughout the body to use as energy. Insulin resistance, a condition in

which the body begins to ignore the hormone's commands, is often a

precursor to type 2 diabetes.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition June 2001;73:1001-1002, 1019-1026

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DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:

Dr. Enig is one of the leading scientists who has documented the

enormous detriment that trans fat have on our health. Her excellent article

published about one year in this newsletter comprehensively reviews this topic.

There is another article that reviews these issues.

Believe me folks, you do not want to mess around with trans fats. They are

one of the worst things that you could be eating, no matter how good they

taste.

Diabetes is a major problem for the US. It is actually an epidemic. Last

year there was a 70% increase in diabetes in 30 year olds in the US.

Fortunately, cleaning up your food choices and exercise are the key to

eliminating type 2 diabetes in the vast majority of people.

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