Effect of Dietary Fat on Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which the body either ceases to produce enough insulin or is no longer able to use it as needed. When there is not enough insulin, the body is unable to utilize the consumed foods, and this digested food keeps building up in the blood in glucose form. The intake of dietary fat is an important factor in the development of many diseases, including diabetes. Lowering total consumption of fats in the diet lowers the chances of getting diabetes.

The Connection Between Fat and Diabetes

• The intake of dietary fat is known to worsen diabetes. According to research by T. L. Cleave in the classic book 'The Saccharine Disease' in 1956 and a 1949 paper by H. Haimsworth on the effect of fat intake on diabetes, it was revealed that an overconsumption of fat and refined carbohydrates is the cause of diabetes and that the symptoms of diabetes can be controlled by eliminating or reducing both from the diet.

  The sugar from the bloodstream needs to be driven into the cells before it can be turned into energy. This job is performed by insulin, by attaching onto hooks on the cell surface called insulin receptors. The consumption of too much fat and being overweight reduce the number of insulin receptors and result in diabetes.

  The diabetes epidemic of the past two decades in the United States has been attributed to a drastic change in people's dietary habits. The majority of Americans are consuming more than the recommended allowance for fat and refined carbohydrates, and consequently are ending up overweight.

The Diabetic Diet

• The optimal diet for diabetics is a low-fat diet with complex carbohydrates.

  Simple carbohydrates such as candies, sweets, sweet drinks and cakes are not a good choice for people with diabetes. These foods cause the sugar level in the bloodstream to shoot up, resulting in serious problems. If simple carbohydrates cannot be avoided, they should be eaten in very small quantities.

  The effect of fat on diabetes has been discussed by Neal Barnard in his book "Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes," in which he highlights the critical role of animal fats in causing diabetes. According to the research in his book, a high-animal-fat diet is closely linked to an increase in type 2 diabetes. He supports this by observing that the people in Africa and in Thailand, Japan and a number of other Asian countries have comparatively low incidences of diabetes. But when the same individuals start consuming Western-style diets, the rates of type 2 diabetes soar.

  Hence a diet rich in fat, especially saturated fat or cooked animal fat, increases the chances of getting diabetes.