The documented increase in the number of people worldwide suffering from obesity and Type 2 diabetes is often linked with an unhealthy overconsumption of saturated fats. Researchers from the German Diabetes Center (Deutsches Diabetes-Zentrum, DDZ) and the Helmholtz Center in Munich (HMGU) have discovered that even a one-time consumption of increased amounts of palm oil can have long-lasting effects on human bodies.
Saturated fats can reduce the body’s insulin response, increase fat deposits around the body and alter the metabolism around the liver. Overall the study has shown that early, minor changes in the liver’s metabolism after consumption of saturated fats are what eventually lead to fatty liver disease in overweight individuals and those with Type 2 diabetes.
The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation by the researchers from the DDZ and HMGU. The experiment conducted gave a random flavored palm oil drink or a clear glass of water to a healthy, slim male. In this control experiment the palm oil drink had the amount of saturated fat equivalent to a meal of two cheeseburgers with bacon and a large order of French fries or two salami pizzas.
After comparing the experimental group with the control group, the researchers showed that the single event of overconsumption of saturated fats, even in healthy males, had immediate detrimental effects.
The scientists reported that reduced insulin activity and an increase of fat deposits on the liver were observed. Furthermore the balance in energy of the liver during metabolic action was altered from its normal state.
These metabolic changes resembled those in people suffering from type two diabetes or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is the most prevalent liver disease in developed countries and is often related to obesity. The altered metabolic changes that are associated with it are entitled “metabolic syndrome” and are related to an increased risk of getting type two diabetes. Eventually NAFLD can lead to severe, irreversible liver damage.
“The surprise was that a single dosage of palm oil has such a rapid and direct impact on the liver of a healthy person and that the amount of fat administered already triggered insulin resistance,” Professor Michael Roden, managing director and chairman at the German Center for Diabetes Research, said in a press release. “A special feature of our study is that we monitored the liver metabolism of people with a predominantly non-invasive technology, e.g. by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This allows us to track the storage of sugar and fat as well as the energy metabolism of the mitochondria (power plants of the cell.”
In using this type of technology, the researchers were able to confirm that the one-time increased intake of palm oil (saturated fats) detrimentally affected the metabolic activity of muscles, liver and fatty tissue.
The induced insulin resistance led to an upregulation of sugar synthesis in the liver, but a corresponding decrease of sugar absorption in the skeletal muscles. This is a toxic combination and is the cause of increased sugar levels in those suffering from type two diabetes.
The non-invasive technology allowed the scientists to see that the insulin resistance of fatty tissue triggered an increased release of fats into the bloodstream. This in turn further inhibited insulin activity causing a vicious cycle. With increased amounts of fats in the bloodstream, the mitochondria of the cell is overworked, leaving the body susceptible to liver disease.
The results of the study show the downward cycle that eating a meal high in saturated fats just once can have. Roden and his team, however, believe that most healthy people are able to manage these immediate, negative impacts that unhealthy foods have. The greater risk rests on those who are constantly eating unhealthy meals that are high in saturated fats, since the short-term effects can build upon one another and ultimately cause major, long-term health issues.
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