Subject Line:  Got Diabetes?  How Fat Can Help You Lose Weight And Gain Control

By Dr. Karen Yale, B.A., D.C.

If you have diabetes, you know that one of the best things you can do for your body is to lose weight.  Exercise (just a 30-minute walk each day) can help you drop pounds and up your insulin sensitivity. 

The other key area is diet:  And the standard prescription in that regard is to reduce the fat.

True.  But I’m going to tell you two ways that eating some fat can actually help you reduce your body fat as well as help you manage the effects of diabetes.

First off, get some omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.  This super-fat is found in cold-water fish like salmon and sardines, but can also be taken as a supplement such as fish oil.  While there has been some debate among diabetes researchers on whether omega-3’s might lower your body’s sensitivity to insulin, a recent survey of 23 randomized controlled trials found no indication that omega-3’s affected blood glucose levels.

On the contrary, the overall conclusion of all this research is that omega-3’s can help you drop the level of triglycerides – or bad fats – in your blood significantly.  This is really important, since these fats are linked to plaque build-up (arteriosclerosis) and other cardiovascular problems associated with diabetes.

But the story gets even better . . .

A recent small-scale double-blind placebo controlled trial involving 27 women with Type 2 diabetes found that supplementation with omega-3’s actually shrunk fat cells and even reduced the number of genes found in fat cells that are responsible for inflammation.  (Inflammation being linked to many health problems associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease).  While the participants’ body weight remained the same, their level of body fat was reduced.

Wow – that’s some good fat!  The participants in this trial took 3 grams of fish oil supplements (containing 1.8 g of omega-3 fatty acids) a day for 2 months.

But hold on, I told you there would be a second reason to keep eating a little fat:

When you feel hungry, you eat.  So the more you feel hungry, the more you eat.  Well did you know that a little fat with each meal can help you eat less?  Adding just a little fat to a meal can slow down digestion dramatically, making your stomach feel fuller longer.  For example:  If you eat some bread without butter, it will take your stomach about 20-30 minutes to empty out.  Spread a little butter on the bread – or something even better like a little nut butter – and it will take your stomach about 3 ½ hours to digest your meal.   

Not only will this help you eat less, but the slower digestion will also help slow down the release of glucose into the bloodstream after a meal.  This gradual pace makes it easier for your cells to take up glucose from the blood. 

Just make sure you don’t take this principle too far – don’t go over 70 calories – a little less than a tablespoon of all natural peanut butter.  The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes keep fat consumption to 25% of your total caloric intake; and less than 7% of your calories should be from saturated fats.

Sources:

J. Hartweg, et al. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for type 2 diabetes mellitus; Cochrane Database Systematic Review 2008 Jan 23; (1)

M. Kabir et al. Treatment for 2 Mo. With n 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces adiposity and some atherogenic factors but does not improve insulin sensitivity in women with type 2 diabetes:  a randomized controlled study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007 Dec; 86 (6)

M. F. Roizen, M.D. and M.C. Oz, M.D., You:  The Owner’s Manual (New York: Harper Collins, 2005)