When it comes to diabetes prevention in the obese, recent research shows that a diet of low-fat products works better than smaller portions of high-fat foods. Mice put on a low-fat diet were found to be more sensitive to insulin than those receiving the same amount of energy from high-fat food.
Mice that received only low-fat products were more sensitive to insulin than mice that ate small portions of high-fat food. Clinically obese people sometimes suffer from Type II diabetes due to more fatty acids being released from the adipose tissue present in obesity.
Low-Fat Foods Better for Diabetes
These fatty acids can reduce the functioning of the beta cells in the pancreas as well as the sensitivity of various tissues to insulin.
Fat accumulation in adipose tissue is less harmful than fat accumulation in organs such as the liver and muscles. Treatment methods that lead to a reduction of fat accumulation in the liver and muscles might also reverse type II diabetes mellitus in obese patients.
In diabetics, the regulation of the blood glucose level and the transport of glucose from the blood to tissue cells are disrupted. This is due to either insufficient insulin production or insufficient insulin effectiveness.
Obesity and type II diabetes mellitus will probably be the health problems of the 21st century, as the number of obese people has risen sharply over the last few decades.
This article was adapted from a news release by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.
