Saturated fats have been cast as dietary villains – but a study published today suggests some kinds may be healthier than others.
The latest findings only apply to the development of type 2 diabetes, which is strongly linked to obesity.
They suggest that dairy fat may help prevent diabetes.
But when a fatty meal is combined with alcohol and carbohydrates, it may increase the risk. This is because it leads to the creation of something called even-chain saturated fatty acids, researchers say.
A team from Cambridge University, UK, examined the link between saturated fat and type 2 diabetes in a large international study. They explain that saturated fat is often present in foods containing animal fat, such as meat, butter, and cheese, but is also present in processed and fried foods.
Saturated fat breaks down into molecules called fatty acids which contain varying numbers of carbon atoms. All saturated fat tends to be lumped together in current dietary recommendations as risky to health.
The researchers measured blood levels of nine different saturated fatty acids and the risk of later type 2 diabetes using figures on 340,234 adults in eight European countries, of whom 12,403 developed the condition.
This suggested that saturated fatty acids with an even number of carbon atoms in their chain (e.g. 14, 16 and 18) may be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, while the odd-chain saturated fatty acids, 15 and 17, may be associated with a reduced risk.
The findings are reported in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.
Lead researcher, Dr Nita Forouhi, commented: "Our findings provide strong evidence that individual saturated fatty acids are not all the same. The challenge we face now is to work out how the levels of these fatty acids in our blood correspond to the different foods we eat.
He added: "These odd-chain saturated fatty acids are well-established markers of eating dairy fats, which is consistent with several recent studies, including our own, that have indicated a protective effect against type 2 diabetes from eating yoghurt and other dairy products.
"In contrast, the situation for even-chain saturated fatty acids, such as 16:0 and 18:0, is more complex. As well as being consumed in fatty diets, these blood fatty acids can also be made within the body through a process which is stimulated by the intake of carbohydrates and alcohol."
Professor David Lomas, of the UK Medical Research Council, which backed the research, said: "Type 2 diabetes has serious consequences for health and healthcare costs, and its numbers are rising in all world regions. Identifying new ways to not only treat, but prevent the condition are therefore vital."
Forouhi, N. G. et al. Differences in the prospective association between individual plasma phospholipid saturated fatty acids and incident type 2 diabetes – the EPIC-InterAct case-cohort study. The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology 6 August 2014
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