In Australia, a new study found that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes could be significantly reduced by eating a diet rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. These findings support clinical recommendations to increase dietary intake of omega-6, which is found in bean and seed oils such as soybean and sunflower oils and in nuts.
The global collaboration led by The George Institute explored these concerns in studies from around the world, and they found that individuals who had the highest blood level of linoleic acid, the major omega-6 fat, were 35 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the future than those who had the least amount.
Lead author Dr Jason Wu, of The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, said, “Our findings suggest that a simple change in diet might protect people from developing type 2 diabetes which has reached alarming levels around the world.”