Starch Diet to Protect Onset of Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that occurs when immune cells called autoreactive T cells attack and destroy the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin is the hormone that regulates the blood sugar levels. A diet that provides high amounts of the short-chain fatty acids acetate and butyrate has a beneficial effect on the immune system and offered protection against type 1 or juvenile diabetes. The international study was led by a team of researchers from the Monash University''s Biomedicine Discovery Institute, who developed the the specialized diet along with CSIRO.