Diabetes affects millions of people around the world. Diabetics are advised to stay away from foods that are rich in processed carbohydrates, excessive sugar and high amount of calories. People suffering from diabetes are also said to be wary of dishes that contain high amounts of fats in them. Cheese is a food that probably checks out on all three things, but according to one particular study, consuming cheese may actually have some health benefits for diabetics. The study said that consuming low and regular-fat cheeses may regulate blood sugar levels and lead to improvement in insulin sensitivity. The improved insulin sensitivity was furthermore, not accompanied with a change in body weight or production of insulin.
The 2019 study published in the Journal Of Nutritional Biochemistry was titled, "Both low- and regular-fat cheeses mediate improved insulin sensitivity and modulate serum phospholipid profiles in insulin-resistant rats". As is evident from the title, the study was conducted on rats and must, therefore, be taken with a pinch of salt. Researchers from the University of Alberta looked at the impact of both reduced- and regular-fat cheese on the bodies of pre-diabetic rats. They used a rat model of insulin resistance, which was similar to that in the human body and which was created by feeding rats with high amounts of fat.
After a week, the rats were divided into three different groups and fed different types of diets. The amount of fats in all the diets was the same, just the sources varied. One group was fed a high fat diet with no cheese, the second one consumed a high fat diet with reduced-fat cheddar and the third group consumed high fat diet with regular-fat cheddar and the rats ate these diets for eight weeks. Both reduced- and regular-fat cheddar were found to have improved insulin resistance in the rats. This indicated that the benefits of cheese are independent of the amounts of fat in it, but can be credited to some other nutrient like calcium or protein instead.
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