Is this the secret to beating type 2 diabetes?

Interestingly, the researchers say that their findings - together with results from previous studies - "do not suggest that high levels of dietary omega-6 PUFA [s] are harmful".

The studies included a total of 39,740 adults aged 49-76 years from 10 countries, including the US, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Finland, Australia, Iceland, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Sweden.

For the study conducted, the team of researchers analyzed data from 20 studies involving 39,740 adults from 10 countries, in whom 4,347 new cases of diabetes occurred over time. To get round this, the researchers only looked at studies which measured levels of omega-6 molecules in the blood.

Professor Peter Clifton, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Nutrition School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences at the University of South Australia said our attempt at a healthier diet might be part of the reason this type of diabetes is still on the increase. "But one contributing factor, especially in Australia, is a declining use of margarines and oils which are rich in linoleic acid". But much less is known about how omega-6 affects diabetes.

With diabetes cases witnessing a rise, a new study has revealed that including foods rich in Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats in your diet could significantly reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Found copiously in seeds and nuts, and the oils extracted from them, omega-6 fatty acids help in reducing nerve pain, fighting inflammation, treating rheumatoid arthritis, reducing hypertension, keeping heart disease at bay, supporting bone health, etc. This has been taken seriously enough for French national guidelines to recommend that linoleic acid should make up no more than four per cent of energy intake.

"Thus", they add, "the potential effects of omega-6 PUFAs, including linoleic acid and its metabolite arachidonic acid, on type 2 diabetes remain unresolved and are of considerable clinical, scientific, and public health importance". It was also concluded that the presence of arachidonic acid in adults did not have any significant effect on the development of Type 2 diabetes, as its detected levels were not associated with higher or lower risks of diabetes.