Canola oil may benefit Type 2 diabetes patients, study finds
Could help them control their blood sugar levels
Switching to a diet with a low glycemic index (GI) and high in healthy fats, such as those found in canola (rapeseed) oil, could help people with Type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar in people with Type 2, a new study has found.
Published in the journal Diabetes Care, the study of Canadian adults with Type 2 diabetes shows that adding canola oil to the diet is a simple way of helping control blood glucose and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
In the multicentre, randomised controlled trial, 141 participants with Type 2 diabetes who were taking drugs to control blood glucose were given either a test or control diet for three months. The test diet was low GI and higher in fat, including bread made with canola oil (31g of oil for each person per day). The control diet was healthy, low-fat and high-fibre, emphasising wholewheat foods.
The results showed that those who consumed the canola oil diet improved blood glucose control. In addition, participants at increased risk high blood pressure, derived the greatest benefits.
Canola oil is rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid also found in walnuts, as well as monounsaturated fatty acids, which are also in avocados and olives.
Further studies are now warranted on the effect of canola oil in a Mediterranean-type diet
'This study shows the advantage of using canola oil in type 2 diabetes to improve both blood cholesterol and blood glucose control by reducing the glycemic load (GI multiplied by the amount of carbohydrate in the diet), especially in those at highest risk of diabetes complications,' said lead researcher David Jenkins, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Metabolism, Department of Nutritional Sciences,University of Toronto as well as Director, Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital.
The beneficial health effects of canola oil and its fat components (monounsaturated and omega-3 fats) have been independently shown in other studies.
Although study participants were being treated with drugs to control blood glucose and had low 'bad' LDL cholesterol levels, canola oil consumption was associated with a significant, additional reduction in this type of cholesterol. 'This may translate into an extra 7% reduction in CVD events,' said Jenkins.
'Further studies are now warranted on the effect of canola oil in a Mediterranean-type diet on glycemic control, blood fats and weight loss in Type 2 diabetes,' added Shaunda Durance-Tod, Canola Info Manager, Canola Council of Canada.