The More Fat You Eat, And The More Saturated That Fat, The Higher Your Risk For Diabetes

That has been the finding of several large epidemiological studies.

• It was the finding of the San Luis Valley Diabetes Study:
Dietary Fat Predicts Conversion From Impaired Glucose Tolerance To NIDDM. The San Luis Valley Diabetes Study

... which found that an extra 40 grams of fat a day led to a 3.4 times increased risk for type 2 diabetes. That association was adjusted for obesity and energy intake... meaning someone could be lean and not eat a lot, but if what they did eat was high in fat, it raised their risk for diabetes.

• It was the finding of the EPIC-Norfolk Study in the US:
Fat Consumption And HbA1c Levels

... which found that HbA1c (an indicator of average blood glucose over the previous three months) was positively associated with total fat intake ... the more fat one ate, the higher their average blood glucose. It also found that the more saturated the fat, the higher the average blood glucose. These findings, as above, were adjusted for obesity and energy intake.

• It was the finding of two cohorts in the Seven Countries Study:
Dietary Factors Determining Diabetes And Impaired Glucose Tolerance. A 20-Year Follow-Up Of The Finnish And Dutch Cohorts Of The Seven Countries Study

... which found that "a high intake of fat, especially that of saturated fatty acids, contributes to the risk of glucose intolerance and [diabetes]." These findings, as above, were adjusted for obesity and energy intake.

For so many years, I thought it was the carbohydrate.
________Photo of double cheeseburger from Aman*Duh's Flicker photostream.