Based on the results recently compiled from a study of diabetic mice, humans who are genetically predisposed to type II diabetes may be able to counteract the effects of the disease by eating a diet low in fat, claimed University professor of psychology and health sciences Dr. Richard Surwit in this month's issue of Metabolism.
Based on the study's data, "The disease is completely linked to the fat content in individuals who have a predisposition," he explained.
Dr. Seth Braunstein, chief of the University of Pennsylvania's Diabetes Center said experts have long recognized the importance of monitoring the fat intake of diabetic patients to counter the debilitating effects of the disease.
"This just emphasizes the role of fats, and anything we can do to reduce that intake of fat... is beneficial to the patient," he said in an interview with The Chronicle.
Human diabetics may experience pancreatic and kidney failure, blindness, gangrene and other debilitating effects of the disease.
In patients without diabetes, an influx of blood sugar into the pancreas causes its beta cells to release insulin. But for type II diabetics who are genetically predisposed to the disease, the presence of fat, not blood sugar, causes the release of insulin.
Therefore, a decrease in fat intake will decrease the release of insulin, Surwit's work helped to demonstrate.
In turn the blood sugar levels of diabetics will not fall as drastically low as those who intake high levels of fat.
The genetic predisposition to diabetes might come from a gene discovered by Surwit and his colleagues in 1997. The efficiency of chromosome 11 in human-and chromosome 7 in mice-helps determine the rate at which excess calories are burned.
When the gene is not working as well, fat will not be burned as efficiently and the pancreas will release a greater amount of insulin.
"We would suggest that people with recent onset of type II diabetes reduce their fat content immediately [if they are genetically predisposed]," Surwit said.
For these individuals, substituting synthetic fats such as olestra may be beneficial. After all, Surwit said, if the side effects from olestra are no worse than those from the current medications for diabetes, synthetic fats are a less expensive alternative to traditional treatments-averaging $10,000 per patient.
Although the diet for the study's mice was reduced to 10 percent fat, such a large reduction in humans-who normally eat about 30 percent of their daily diet in fat-is not as easily accomplished.
Penny Sparacino, head nurse of student health, said health-care experts recommend individuals keep their fat intake below 30 percent and their saturated fat intake-which usually comes from animal products-below 10 percent. She added, therefore, an effective method of reducing fat intake is limiting saturated fat.
Sparacino emphasized, however, that some fat is necessary for a healthy diet. For instance, fat keeps the gall bladder functioning properly.
Braunstein added that a 10 to 15 percent fat intake is probably adequate for those trying to counter the effects of the disease. "You need certain fats to maintain certain [metabolic] functions," he said.
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