Contrary to the popular perception of dairy products as unhealthy, regular consumption could actually reduce the risk of developing the condition by up to 60 per cent, according to a study.
The ingredient responsible is trans-palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid found in the dairy fat of milk, cheese, yoghurt and butter.
The white stuff: A fatty acid found in milk could prevent diabetes
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in the United States say it can combat type 2 diabetes, which affects more than 2.3million Britons.
In the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, more than 3,700 participants were followed for 20 years by researchers.
They took measurements including blood glucose, insulin and levels of fatty acids.
They found that higher levels of trans-palmitoleic acid were associated with healthier levels of blood cholesterol and insulin.
Overall, those with the highest levels of trans-palmitoleic acid had about a 60 per cent reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Lead researcher Dariush Mozaffarian said: 'The magnitude of this association is striking.
'This represents an almost three-fold difference in risk of developing diabetes among individuals with the highest blood levels of this fatty acid.'
The study also appears to confirm previous research showing that a diet rich in dairy foods is linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes and related metabolic abnormalities.
A review of 324 studies of milk consumption and effects on health last year suggested the health benefits of milk outweigh any dangers that lie in its consumption, cutting deaths from common diseases by 15-20 per cent.
As little as one-third of a pint a day shows benefits in some studies while others involve regular consumption of almost a pint a day.
Dr Mozaffarian said: 'There has been no clear biologic explanation for the lower risk of diabetes seen with higher dairy consumption in prior studies. This is the first time that the relationship of trans-palmitoleic acid with diabetes risk has been evaluated.
'We wonder whether this naturally occurring trans fatty acid in dairy fats may partly mimic the normal biologic role of its cis counterpart, cis-palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid that is produced in the body.
'In animal experiments, cis-palmitoleic acid protects against diabetes.'
Professor Gokhan Hotamisligil, senior author on the study, said this latest research had strong findings, but needed to be confirmed by a trial which set out to prove how it worked.
He said: 'This is an extremely strong protective effect, stronger than other things we know can be beneficial against diabetes.
'The next step is to move forward with an intervention trial to see if there is therapeutic value in people.' ( dailymail.co.uk )
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