Liberation Wellness

Full-fat cheeses reduce diabetes risk (Photo by Like_the_Grand_Canyon/Flickr)

You might be hard pressed to find a doctor, dietician or nutritionist who advises eating full-fat dairy products, but it’s exactly what you should be eating for many good reasons.  And you should never eat trans fats, right?  Well, it’s not so simple.  Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have identified a naturally occurring trans fat in dairy that may substantially reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Trans-palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid found in milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter, is not produced by the body and so only comes from the diet.  It is found almost exclusively in naturally-occurring dairy and meat trans fats which, unlike trans fats found in hydrogenated vegetable oils, have not been linked to higher heart disease risk.  Palmitoleic acid also has anti-microbial properties and is a key compound in cell communication.

The study, reported in the December 21, 2010, issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, finds that trans-palmitoleic acid may underlie recent evidence that diets rich in dairy foods are linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes and related metabolic abnormalities.

The researchers examined 3,736 participants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded Cardiovascular Health Study, who have been followed for 20 years to evaluate risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in older adults. Blood samples were taken in 1992 to measure metabolic risk factors such as blood glucose and insulin levels, and also levels of circulating blood fatty acids, including trans-palmitoleic acid.

At the beginning of the study, higher levels of trans-palmitoleic acid were associated with healthier levels of blood cholesterol, inflammatory markers, insulin levels, and insulin sensitivity. During follow-up, participants with higher levels of trans-palmitoleic acid had a much lower risk of developing diabetes, with about a 60% lower risk among those with the highest trans-palmitoleic acid levels.

The authors called for additional observational studies and controlled trials, noting that the magnitude of the association between trans-palmitoleic acid, also known as trans-palmitoleate, and reduced diabetes risk was striking, representing an almost three-fold difference in risk.

The study’s senior author, Gökhan S. Hotamisligil, a Professor of Genetics and Metabolism, emphasized the magnitude of the risk reduction, noting that the fat  has an extremely strong protective effect, stronger than other things known to be beneficial against diabetes.

Look for full fat dairy products especially those made from raw milk.  In the Philadelphia area, full fat raw milk is available at Hendricks Farms, or can be obtained by drop shipment from Your Family Cow in Chambersburg.

Margie King is a certified holistic health coach, Wharton M.B.A. and former corporate attorney. She received her training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Margie leads workshops on nutrition, conducts healthy cooking classes, and offers individual and group health and nutrition coaching to women and busy professionals.

For more information and to receive her free report “Bread: What You Need To Know Before Buying Your Next Loaf,” check out Margie’s website: http://www.MargieKing.net

Read more of Margie’s articles as the Philadelphia Nutrition Examiner here: http://www.examiner.com/nutrition-in-philadelphia/margie-king