16th September 2014 - New Swedish research shows that eating and drinking high-fat dairy products is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This finding appears to contradict current guidance which recommends people with diabetes choose low-fat dairy products whenever possible.
The new research, presented at this year's annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), shows that people with the highest consumption of high-fat dairy products (8 or more portions per day) have a 23% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest consumption (1 or fewer portions per day).
However, a leading UK diabetes charity is warning that this research does not mean that adding high fat dairy products to your diet will actively help to protect against type 2 diabetes.
Fats & previous studies
It's thought that dietary fats could affect glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity and may therefore have a crucial role in the development of type 2 diabetes.
Previous studies have indicated that replacing high levels of saturated fat with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats might be the best way to help prevent type 2 diabetes. Consequently plant sources of fat (e.g. spreads made with sunflower or olive oil) have been suggested as a better choice compared with animal sources of fat (e.g. butter).
Other studies have indicated that a high intake of dairy products may be protective.
Subsequently the authors of this new study aimed to examine consumption of fats according to their fat content, and their association with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Latest study
The research was carried out by Dr Ulrika Ericson, Lund University Diabetes Center, Malmö, Sweden and colleagues.
The study included 26,930 people (60% women), aged 45-74 years, from the population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort. During 14 years of follow up, 2,860 type 2 diabetes cases were identified.
After making adjustments for factors such as age, sex, smoking and alcohol consumption, the researchers found that a high intake of high-fat dairy products (8 portions a day) was associated with a 23% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes when compared with those people who had just one portion of high-fat dairy products a day.
Specific fats
The researchers found that intake of cream (30ml or more a day compared with 0.3ml a day or less) was associated with a 15% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Consumption of high-fat fermented milk fat, found in yogurts and milk with a regular fat content of around 3%, also reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 20%, when comparing the highest consumers (180ml/day, the top 10% of consumers), with the non-consumers (60% of participants).
High intakes of meat and meat products were associated with increased risk.
