foodconsumer.org: Study: Ingestion of trans-fatty acids does not affect insulin sensitivity

Study: Ingestion of trans-fatty acids does not affect insulin sensitivity
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admin on 07/08/2008 20:11:00
 
TUESDAY July 8, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new French study suggests that
trans fat does not increase the risk of insulin sensitivity and diabetes.   The
study was conducted in rats and it does not mean that trans fat causes no harm
to humans.
The study, published in the July issue of the Journal of Lipid Research, showed
that neither the industrial trans fat (partially hydrogenated trans fat) nor the
dietary trans fat (from dairy) caused insulin resistance.
Epidemiologic studies indicated that chronic consumption of trans fat may alter
muscle insulin sensitivity. And other studies have shown that trans fat, like
saturated, can actually cause problems in the pancreas, leading to increased
risk of diabetes.
Anne-Laure Tardy at the University of Clermont, France, and colleagues sought to
find some evidence to eliminate the concern about the safety of trans fat.
In their 8 week study, the researchers fed Wistar rats a diet that was enriched
with 4 percent of calories from trans fat, either in dairy or industrial form; a
control group was fed a diet with no trans fat.
A test known as an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test showed that the trans
fat diet did not alter insulin and glucose responses.
Further, the researchers found that the trans fat diet did not alter
mitochondrial oxidative capacity in soleus and tibialis anterior rat muscles as
compared to the non-trans fat control diet, although the trans fat diet did
induce a specific reduction in soleus mitochondrial ATP and superoxide anion
production.
They concluded that "dietary trans fats of dairy or industrial origin have
similar effects and do not impair muscle mitochondrial capacity and insulin
sensitivity."
Epidemiologists and nutritionists at Harvard University have earlier estimated
that trans fat is implicated in up to 100,000 deaths in the United States.
Trans fat is an unnatural form of fat, and natural human enzymes may not be able
to adequately metabolize them, potentially leaving them in cells and tissues and
affecting normal physiology.   Earlier studies showed that trans fat altered
pancreatic cells and potentially increased the risk of diabetes.
Industrially hydrogenated oils are widely used in the food industry and
restaurants. Trans fat can also be produced from natural oil in any thermal
process such as cooking.   The oils are thermally stable, and food prepared with
this type of trans fat has a longer shelf-life and renders a unique flavor and
texture.
Source:
http://www.jlr.org/cgi/content/abstract/49/7/1445
For more information on trans fat, read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat
By Ben Wasserman, and edited by Heather Kelley
Jul 8, 2008 - 2:43:15 PM