• Omega-6 fatty acids found in nuts, seeds, cinema favourites like popcorn and other snack foods shown in a study to reduce type-2 diabetes by 35 per cent.

Diabetes affects at least 30 million people in the USA alone and it is highly debilitating to sufferers. About 95 percent of these people have type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes results because the body no longer responds to the hormone insulin which regulates blood glucose. Incidentally, type-1 diabetes occurs when the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas malfunction. When blood sugar levels are unmanaged and rise then a number of conditions develop such as diabetic retinopathy leading to lost eyesight, kidney disease and cardiovascular issues not to mention amputation of limbs in more extreme cases. However, continuing research demonstrates foods with potential for reducing the risk of this condition developing.

The Study

A clinical study from The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney demonstrated that a diet rich in omega-6 fatty acids were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The messages around omega-6 fats for example have not been that positive of late but it appears some good news for all of us who enjoy a bag of popcorn from time to time and eat plenty of nuts and seeds.

The association between diabetes and omega-6 fatty acids was made by examining 20 prospective cohort studies. This covered 39,740 adults aged 49–76 years from 10 countries in total from mainly affluent, well-developed nations – Finland, Australia, Iceland, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Sweden, United Kingdom and the USA. At the start of the study, none of the participants had type-2 diabetes. In the follow-up period, which amounted to 366,073 person years, there were 4,347 new cases of type 2 diabetes.

In the study, levels of linoleic acid and arachidonic acid were measured in subject’s blood. The research checked whether the levels of these particular fatty acids were linked or associated in some way with the development of type-2 diabetes.

Participants with low levels of linoleic acid in their blood were associated with higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids. These particular levels stood out as they correlated with this 35 percent reduction in developing diabetes. Reducing the risk of developing diabetes by over a third through diet modification is eye-catching!

Adopting a healthy diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds is always regarded by nutritionists as the best way of reducing the chance of developing diabetes. Other aspects such as exercise, a ‘slim’ weight and stress –free activities also have their significant part to play.

The Role Of Omega-6 Fatty Acids In Diet

When it comes to fats, we should be ingesting polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in moderation but are essential for good health. The omega-6 fatty acids are needed for membrane formation in cells, for energy metabolism, for bone production and making important messengers in our body. That means we enjoy good brain health, along with general tissue, hair and skin growth.

This new study hints at raising the level of omega-6 fatty acids to optimise on protection against type-2 diabetes. Omega-6 fatty acids cannot be made in the body so we have to consume them. Apart from nuts, seeds and fish, the oils – maize oil, corn oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil are all excellent sources of these fatty acids. The issue with these particular fatty acids has been their association with raised inflammation leading to various chronic diseases especially heart disease. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggest these fatty acids make up only 5 to 10 percent of our total energy intake. Based on this evidence, that estimated suggestion might need to rise to accommodate the new levels needed.

The co-author Dariush Mozaffarian, from Tufts University in Massachusetts, in the US, stated:

“This is striking evidence. The people involved in the study were generally healthy and were not given specific guidance on what to eat. Yet those who had the highest levels of blood omega-6 markers had a much lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes.”

The research is published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

Wu, J.H.Y., Marklund, M., Imamura, F., et al., (2017) Omega-6 fatty acid biomarkers and incident type 2 diabetes: pooled analysis of individual-level data for 39 740 adults from 20 prospective cohort studies. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(17)30307-8