Newly discovered good fat protects against diabetes

Researchers are discovering new fatty acids that have a positive effect on diabetes and are anti-inflammatory

10/10/2014

Fats are usually associated with obesity and cardiovascular disease. American researchers recently discovered new good fatty acids to protect against diabetes. The so-called „fatty acid hydroxy fatty acids“, FAHFA for short, are produced by the body itself and are also supposed to have anti-inflammatory effects. The researchers published their study results in the current issue of the specialist journal „Cell“.

FAHFA molecules can be the „small list of good fats "
Barbara Kahn of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts and her colleague Alan Saghatelian of the Salk Institute in California conducted their research on mice genetically engineered to be highly susceptible to human type 2 diabetes suffered from a similar illness. When they administered FAHFA molecules to these mice in the next step, their blood sugar levels dropped. Human studies have also shown that a low concentration of FAHFA molecules correlates with an increased risk of diabetes.

„Based on their biology we can add the FAHFAs to the 'small list of good fats'“, Saghatelian explains in a statement from the Salk Institute. „These fats are amazing because they can also reduce inflammation, suggesting that we could find therapy options with these molecules in inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. "

The FAHFA molecules take on different tasks. „The fats work with several mechanisms. When the blood sugar level rises, as after a meal, the fats stimulate the secretion of a hormone that stimulates the pancreas to deliver insulin. In addition, these new fats also directly stimulate the absorption of sugar into the cells and inhibit inflammatory reactions in adipose tissue and the whole body, "Kahn is quoted in the message.

Good fats are produced by the body itself
Fats are generally said to cause cardiovascular disease such as heart attack. However, exceptions such as omega-3 fatty acids have already been discovered. These are for example contained in fish and are supposed to be health-promoting contrary to the bad fats. The special feature of the FAHFA molecules is that they are produced by the body itself and do not need to be absorbed through food. However, their concentration is so low that they have received little attention so far.

„This work may suggest that changes in FAHFA levels correlate with a new mechanism in diabetes that has been underestimated because these fats were unknown, "said Saghatelian. „We hope this work will lead to new therapeutics that help the body regulate its own blood sugar levels.“ (Ag)