Australia : Eating a diet rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats – found in foods such as soybean and sunflower oils and nuts – may significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a study claims.

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.

“Our findings suggest that a simple change in diet might protect people from developing type 2 diabetes which has reached alarming levels around the world,” said Jason Wu, of The George Institute for Global Health in Australia.

“This is striking evidence,” said Professor Dariush Mozaffarian, from Tufts University in the US.

“The people involved in the study were generally healthy and were not given specific guidance on what to eat. Yet those who had the highest levels of blood omega-6 markers had a much lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes,” said Mozaffarian.

Recent studies have raised concerns that omega-6, which is found in bean and seed oils such as soybean and sunflower oils and in nuts, may have negative health effects, such as inflammation leading to the increased risk of chronic diseases.

They tested the participants for two key omega-6 markers- linoleic acid and arachidonic acid. Linoleic acid was associated with lower risk, while levels of arachidonic acid were not significantly associated with either higher or lower risk of diabetes.

The results suggested that the individuals who had the highest blood level of linoleic acid, the major omega-6 fat, were 35 percent less likely to develop Type-2 diabetes in the future than those who had the least amount.

The researchers suggested that a simple change in the diet might protect people from developing diabetes, which has reached alarming levels around the world. Linoleic acid is not formed in the body and can only be obtained from the diet. The results suggest that eating foods rich in linoleic acid may lower risk of Type-2 diabetes.