Fighting diabetes is key to keeping a healthy brain and this study suggests you can fight diabetes with…meat. This is another study that supports conjugated linoleic acid as a fat you should consider for your health. The researchers examined the amount of CLA in 1,744 subject’s fat tissue. CLA is a fat made by ruminant animals such as cows, sheep, and goats and is found in highest concentrations in grassfed meat and dairy products. Researchers found that a greater intake of meat and dairy products containing CLA is linked with a reduction in the risk of diabetes. The researchers propose that the mechanism is CLA’s involvement in regulating insulin and adipose tissue.
| Authors | N Castro-Webb , EA Ruiz-Narváez, H Campos |
| Institution | Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health |
| Publication Name | The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
| Publication Date | July 2012 |
BACKGROUND: Some experimental studies on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and insulin regulation suggested that CLA could be associated with risk of diabetes, but epidemiologic studies are lacking.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to test whether the amount of CLA in adipose tissue is associated with risk of diabetes.
DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was used to test the study hypothesis in 232 adults with diabetes and 1512 adults without diabetes who lived in Costa Rica. The cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA isomers in adipose tissue and 48 other fatty acids were assessed by using gas chromatography. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs were estimated by using Poisson regression adjusted for potential confounders.
RESULTS:The mean (±SD) percentage of total fatty acids of CLA for the cis-9, trans-11 isomer in adipose tissue was 0.57 ± 0.18% in adults without diabetes and 0.53 ± 0.17% in adults with diabetes (P = 0.0078). The trans-10, cis-12 CLA isomer was not detected in adipose tissue. The cis-9, trans-11 CLA isomer was associated with a lower risk of diabetes. In comparison with the first quintile, the PR (95% CI) for the fifth quintile was 0.48 (0.31, 0.76) (P-trend = 0.0005) in the basic and 0.46 (0.29, 0.72) (P-trend = 0.0002) in the multivariable model. Additional adjustment for other fatty acids in adipose tissue including trans-9 16:1, which is a fatty acid that was previously associated with diabetes, did not modify the results.
CONCLUSION:
The observed inverse association between the cis-9, trans-11 CLA in adipose tissue and diabetes risk is consistent with the hypothesis that CLA may be involved in insulin regulation.
