A team of researchers at the Mayo Clinic, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, and Washington University School of Medicine found evidence suggesting that individuals who consume foods high in saturated fats may experience less severe symptoms if they develop pancreatitis. In their new study published in the prestigious journal Science Advances, the researchers compared data from pancreatitis patients and their daily dietary habits.
For several years, medical scientists have struggled with an obesity paradox, wherein some obese patients seem to improve when treated for certain conditions compared to non-obese patients. In this new study, the researchers aimed for a better understanding of why this sometimes occurs by focusing on pancreatitis. Previous studies have indicated that a person may develop pancreatitis due to a variety of events, such as undergoing abdominal surgery or consuming excessive alcohol. Moreover, individuals suffering from severe obesity are more susceptible to developing pancreatitis than others, though the reasons for this remain unclear. In this study, the researchers closely examined the link between pancreatitis and fat consumption, whether saturated or unsaturated.
It is noteworthy that saturated fats are those found in meats, butter, cheese, and other foods, while unsaturated fats are present in plants and fish. Previous research has suggested that individuals would be healthier if they reduced their intake of saturated fats and consumed more unsaturated fats, as saturated fats have been associated with an increased risk of heart disease and obesity. The researchers have reported exceptions to this rule, leading to what is known as the obesity paradox.
To learn more about the relationship between the consumption of different types of fats and pancreatitis, the researchers studied data from 20 clinical reports from 11 countries worldwide, observing fat consumption in obese patients. They found that patients who consumed diets rich in saturated fats and who also experienced pancreatitis exhibited less severe symptoms compared to patients following a diet higher in unsaturated fats.
After being astonished by their findings, the team conducted experiments on laboratory rats, feeding some a diet high in saturated fats and others a diet high in unsaturated fats, then inducing pancreatitis in the rats. They found that the rats that were fed saturated fats also showed less severe symptoms. Upon further investigation, the researchers discovered that saturated fats do not interact well with lipase triglycerides in the pancreas, leading to less production of long-chain fatty acid esters and a reduction in pancreatitis symptoms.
