Jul 7, 2009 6:51 pm US/Eastern
Fat Hormone Reduces Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
As obesity continues to plague Americans, so does the threat of type-2 diabetes.
Type-2 diabetes cases are skyrocketing worldwide and obesity only fuels that increase. What makes matter worse is that experts predict the numbers will only grow larger.
"In 2030, there may be up to 350 million people with diabetes in the world," says Dr. Rob van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health.
But new research reveals that fat cells are producing a hormone that offers a potential weapon in the fight against diabetes.
Dr. Van Dam uncovered a hormone called adiponectin that is sent out as a signal from fat cells, which is linked with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes.
"It actually has beneficial effects on the liver and on muscles and it increases insulin sensitivity it seems and it reduces inflammation," he says.
The fat plays a significant role in spreading the hormone.
"Fat is really an organ that's very active, that sends out signals to other parts of the body and has a major effect on people's metabolism and risk of disease," he says.
Dr. Van Dam analyzed data from 13 studies that included more than 14,000 patients.
The research, featured in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, confirmed that higher levels of adiponectin were associated with a lower risk of type-2 diabetes. The discovery also applied to every ethnic group.
"I think it's interesting and very important to see that these associations are consistent, so that if adiponectin would be useful as a target for treatment or prevention of diabetes, or for identifying people at high risk of diabetes, it would probably be useful across all these different ethnic groups," he says.
In addition to protecting against diabetes, the high levels of the adiponectin hormone have been linked with a decreased risk of colon cancer. But even though the hormone is made by fat cells, having more fat may not help. Previous research shows that obese people have lower adiponectin levels.
People can increase their adiponectin levels by eating a Mediterranean-style diet including lots of vegetables, fresh fruits, unrefined grains, beans, fish, nuts, seeds, and olive oil and well as moderate red wine intake.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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