Diabetes? Eat this FAT
If you’ve been told that diabetes CAN’T be stopped with food…
Well, you’ve been fed junk (no pun intended!).
The skyrocketing cases of type 2 diabetes are a byproduct of more and more people ingesting processed, refined sugar (which just so happens to be a staple of the Western diet).
Yet, many in the mainstream will tell you to stay away from FAT.
But today I’ve got something that’s going to…
- squash the perception that food CAN’T heal type 2 diabetes and
- prove that FAT isn’t the enemy.
Oleic acid is a member of the fatty acid family… but it isn’t widely ‘popular’ compared to other fatty acids (like the omega-3).
But this fatty acid is abundant in common foods like cooking oil, cheese, nuts, eggs, pasta, avocados… and even mouthwatering meats like beef, pork, and chicken.
But what’s the connection between oleic acid and diabetes?
The results of a Spanish study found that, unlike saturated fat, oleic acid has beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and type 2 diabetes.
This is thanks in large part to oleic acid’s anti-inflammatory actions. Consuming oleic acid helps regulate the amount of insulin released, keeping excess glucose from your lingering in your bloodstream (blood sugar levels are equivalent to the amount of glucose in your bloodstream).
Simply put, this FAT reduces the risk of haywire blood sugar spikes… which, over the long haul, could send your type 2 diabetes packing.
The best way to ensure you’re getting enough oleic acid is through diet: cooking oils, cheese, nuts, and meats are all high in oleic acid.
My go-to source is olive oil.
Olive oil is the most bang for your buck when it comes to high amounts of oleic acid. In fact, upwards of 80% of olive oil is comprised of it!
So, go ahead and use olive oil as a cooking oil, or even as base for a salad dressing.
In Your Corner,
Dr. Allan Spreen
Sources:
PubMed.gov. “Palmitic and Oleic Acid: The Yin and Yang of Fatty Acids in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29290500/
