Dairy foods 'could help prevent diabetes'

The fat in dairy is a good source trans-palmitoleic acid

Trans-palmitoleic acid is present in milk, cheese, yoghurt and butter but cannot be made by the body.

A study of over 3,700 people found higher levels of trans-palmitoleic acid was linked with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

People with the highest levels cut their risk by 60%, Annals of Internal Medicine reports.

Lead author of the research, Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, said: "The magnitude of this association is striking.

"This represents an almost three-fold difference in risk of developing diabetes among individuals with the highest blood levels of this fatty acid."

Recommended amounts

Deepa Khatri, clinical advisor at Diabetes UK, said: "People should not take the findings of this research as a reason to exceed the recommended portion amounts of dairy food in order to prevent their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

"Milk and dairy foods can be high in fat, which if eaten in excess can contribute to weight gain. So it's advisable to choose lower-fat dairy foods instead.

Read the article in full at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12049624